Language arts crossword vocabulary pack

Teacher key

1. METAPHOR · 8 letters · noun · introductory
   Comparison that says one thing is another

   Hint: Think of the eight-letter device in the sentence “The classroom was a zoo.”
   Why it fits: METAPHOR fits because this comparison directly says one thing is another, as in “time is a thief.”

2. SIMILE · 6 letters · noun · introductory
   Comparison using like or as

   Hint: Recall the device used in “the water shone like glass.”
   Why it fits: SIMILE fits because this six-letter device compares unlike things with wording such as “quiet as a mouse.”

3. NARRATOR · 8 letters · noun · introductory
   Voice that tells a story

   Hint: Name the eight-letter voice that may speak in first or third person.
   Why it fits: NARRATOR fits because this is the storytelling voice, which may be a character or an observer outside the events.

4. THEME · 5 letters · noun · intermediate
   Central message of a text

   Hint: Think of the five-letter idea a story develops rather than its plot events.
   Why it fits: THEME fits because it is the broader message a reader infers from characters, conflicts, events, and patterns in a text.

5. IRONY · 5 letters · noun · advanced
   Contrast between expectation and reality

   Hint: Name the five-letter device often discussed as situational, verbal, or dramatic.
   Why it fits: IRONY fits because the clue describes the gap between an expectation and the reality that contradicts it.

6. ALLUSION · 8 letters · noun · advanced
   An indirect reference to a known text or event

   Hint: The writer expects readers to recognize a brief outside reference.
   Why it fits: ALLUSION fits because a few words can evoke a larger shared story or history.

7. PERSONIFICATION · 15 letters · noun · intermediate
   Giving a nonhuman thing human qualities

   Hint: A storm might whisper, argue, or dance in this device.
   Why it fits: PERSONIFICATION fits because the figurative description makes an object or idea seem human.

8. PROTAGONIST · 11 letters · noun · intermediate
   The central character whose goal drives a story

   Hint: This character usually faces the main conflict.
   Why it fits: PROTAGONIST fits because the story's main action commonly follows this character's choices.

9. SETTING · 7 letters · noun · introductory
   The time and place in which a story occurs

   Hint: Ask when and where the events happen.
   Why it fits: SETTING fits because it establishes the environment in which characters act.

10. DIALOGUE · 8 letters · noun · introductory
    Spoken exchange between characters

    Hint: Quotation marks often enclose this part of a story.
    Why it fits: DIALOGUE fits because characters reveal ideas and relationships through conversation.

Accept a different answer only when it matches the clue, length, grammar, and any supplied crossings. Use the reviewed answer when teaching the intended vocabulary target.