What does mistletoe mean?
Word: Mistletoe
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Mistletoe means an evergreen plant with small white berries that grows on the branches of other trees.
How do you spell mistletoe?
Syllables: mis - tle - toe
Tricky part: The t after the s makes no sound, so pupils leave it out and write misletoe.
Watch out for: misletoe, misseltoe
Memory tip: Whistle and thistle hide the same silent t after the s. Whistle as you write it.
Mistletoe in a sentence
Example 1: A clump of mistletoe hung high in the old apple tree.
Example 2: Our guide in Kashmir pointed out mistletoe growing on a walnut branch.
Example 3: Thrushes feed on the white berries of mistletoe.
Fun Fact
Mistletoe has no roots in the soil. Birds wipe its sticky seeds off their beaks onto branches, and a new plant starts up there, high above the ground.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
On the nature walk through the orchard, our biology teacher stopped beside an enormous tree and pointed out a thick green clump of mistleto growing high on one branch.
a) orchard
b) mistleto
c) enormous
d) biology
Show answer
b) mistleto. This plant name ends in the word for a part of your foot.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
mistlletoe
a) l
b) o
c) e
d) s
Show answer
a) l. One l stands between the silent t and the e.
Mingle-Mangle
The jumbled word in the sentence hides a real word. Choose it:
Look up at that bare branch: a round green ball of tlioeetsm is growing on it.
a) mistletoe
b) milestone
c) moleskin
d) metronome
Show answer
a) mistletoe. With no n to use, the other three options cannot be formed.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. creeper 2. lichin 3. mistletoe 4. orchid
a) a plant that spreads along the ground or up a wall
b) a crusty growth on rocks and tree bark
c) a plant with showy, unusual flowers
d) a plant that lives on the branches of a tree
Show answer
b) a crusty growth on rocks and tree bark. Lichen has an e before the n.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A gardener finds a large clump of mistletoe on her apple tree. Why might she cut it off?
a) It keeps the bees off the blossom.
b) It stops the rain from reaching the roots.
c) It makes the apples fall too soon.
d) It takes water from the tree.
Show answer
d) It takes water from the tree.
2. In which season is mistletoe easiest to spot on an apple tree?
a) spring
b) summer
c) autumn
d) winter
Show answer
d) winter
