Word Families and Root Words · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Word Families and Root Words

English · Vocabulary · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What does "teacher" most likely mean?

    • a place full of books
    • a kind of bird
    • someone who teaches

  2. Which word joins the word family of "help"?

    • helmet
    • helpful
    • health

  3. Which word is in the same word family as "sing"?

    • singer
    • finger
    • ginger

  4. Which word comes from the root "cycle"?

    • recycle
    • uncle
    • candle

  5. Which word is NOT part of the "act" word family?

    • actor
    • action
    • apple

  6. Two of these words are cousins in the "help" family. Which one does NOT belong?

    • helper
    • helmet
    • helping

  7. You know the root "build." What might "builder" mean?

    • a kind of boat
    • a person who builds things
    • a loud noise

  8. Which word grows from the root "teach"?

    • teeter
    • teacher
    • torch

  9. Pip sees the word "helpful" in his book. He knows the root "help." What can he guess "helpful" means?

    • it means a hard hat you wear
    • it means a day of rest
    • it means full of help, ready to help

  10. Which pair of words is in the same word family?

    • singer and finger
    • kindly and kindness
    • helper and helmet
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_p1imGSFgJT-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Word Families and Root Words W1-mt_p1imGSFgJT-s1

  1. someone who teaches · "Teacher" holds the root "teach," so a teacher is someone who teaches.
  2. helpful · "Helpful" grows from the root "help." "Helmet" and "health" only share a few letters with it.
  3. singer · "Singer" grows from the root "sing." "Finger" and "ginger" only rhyme with it.
  4. recycle · "Recycle" carries the root "cycle." "Uncle" and "candle" just end in similar letters, but they don't share the root.
  5. apple · "Apple" doesn't share the root "act." Actor and action both come from "act."
  6. helmet · "Helmet" only shares the letters h-e-l with "help." It does not hold the root, so it does not belong.
  7. a person who builds things · "Builder" grows from "build," and the -er ending names a person, so a builder builds things.
  8. teacher · "Teacher" holds the root "teach." "Teeter" and "torch" only share a few letters with it.
  9. it means full of help, ready to help · The root "help" inside "helpful" is Pip's clue: helpful means full of help, ready to help.
  10. kindly and kindness · "Kindly" and "kindness" share the root "kind" and its meaning. The other pairs only look or sound alike.
Worksheet · LightMySky