What does meanwhile mean?
Word: Meanwhile
Part of Speech: Adverb
Meaning: Meanwhile means at the same time as something else is happening, or in the time between two events.
How do you spell meanwhile?
Syllables: mean - while
Tricky part: It is written as one word with no space. The h after the w is silent for most speakers, so it often gets dropped.
Watch out for: meenwhile, meanwhil, meanwhille
Memory tip: Whale, wheel and whistle all keep a quiet h after the w, and so does this word.
Meanwhile in a sentence
Example 1: The rice is cooking; meanwhile, chop the onions.
Example 2: Dad parked the car. Meanwhile, we bought the tickets.
Example 3: The match starts at four. Meanwhile, let us practise our catches.
Fun Fact
In older English, mean could mean middle, so meanwhile is really the middle while: the time in between.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the correctly spelt compound word:
a) otherwize
b) somtimes
c) meanwhile
d) neverthless
Show answer
c) meanwhile. Sometimes has an e after som, otherwise ends in wise and nevertheless has e before less.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) tomorrow
b) yesterday
c) ocasionally
d) meanwhile
Show answer
c) ocasionally. Occasionally has a double c; meanwhile, tomorrow and yesterday are correct.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
lewhimena
a) minimal
b) awhile
c) wholemeal
d) meanwhile
Show answer
d) meanwhile. Wholemeal has no i, minimal has no w, and awhile is far too short.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
meanwhile
a) lifetime
b) bedtime
c) meantime
d) overtime
Show answer
c) meantime. In the meantime and meanwhile both mean in the time between.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Emma washed the car. Meanwhile, her brother fed the dog. So the dog was fed ____.
a) instead of washing the car
b) before the car was washed
c) while the car was washed
d) after the car was washed
Show answer
c) while the car was washed
2. Meanwhile is a word that tells us about ____.
a) time
b) colour
c) place
d) size
Show answer
a) time
