Base Words

Vocabulary Skill

Cliff Hanger

Theme 1: Off to Adventure!

Houghton-Mifflin Reading Grade 3

Many words have endings or beginnings added to smaller words. Base words are the smaller words

that can stand on their own. In the word climbing, the base word is

climb.

When you come across a word you don’t know while you’re reading, you

can find the base word to help uncover its meaning.

He was climbing very carefully.

The base word in climbing is climb.

Axel washed his tin cup at the hand pump.

Circle the base word. Write other words with the base word

wash.

___________ ___________ ___________

Circle the base word in each word.

lucky steamed

closed turned

slowly disappeared

Circle the base word in each sentence.

Lightning flashed.

Dag counted slowly.

Axel picked up the shivering dog.