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📚 English and Language Usage · Using Language and Vocabulary · Lesson 2 of 6 · 4 min

Context clues: figuring out an unfamiliar word

🔍 You will meet words you have never seen. The sentence around them almost always gives the meaning away, if you know where to look.

💡 Key idea

Find the clue (definition, synonym, antonym, example or the overall situation), then swap your guess into the sentence to test it.

🧠 The idea

CONTEXT CLUES are hints in nearby words that reveal what an unfamiliar word means. A DEFINITION clue states the meaning outright, often after a comma, dash, "is", "means" or "or". A SYNONYM clue places a familiar word with the same meaning nearby. An ANTONYM clue shows contrast with words like "but", "unlike", "however" or "instead", so the unknown word means the opposite of the familiar one. An EXAMPLE clue lists instances after "such as", "including" or "for example". When none of these appear, use INFERENCE: think about the situation, the tone and what logically fits. Test your guess by putting it in place of the unknown word; if the sentence still makes sense, you are probably right.

✏️ Worked example

"Unlike his gregarious sister, who chatted with everyone at the party, Malik stood quietly in the corner." What does gregarious mean? The word "unlike" signals an antonym clue: the sister is the opposite of quiet Malik. The phrase "chatted with everyone" adds an example. So gregarious means sociable or outgoing. Swap it in: "Unlike his sociable sister..." The sentence still works.

📌 Takeaways

  • Five clue types: definition, synonym, antonym, example, inference.
  • "But", "unlike", "however" signal opposites; "such as" signals examples.
  • Always test your meaning by substituting it into the sentence.

📖 Terms in this lesson

Context clue: A hint in nearby words that shows what an unfamiliar word means; for example, "unlike" signals a contrast (antonym) clue.

✅ Check yourself

Question 1 of 3

"The patient was lethargic, so tired and sluggish that she could barely lift her head." What does lethargic mean?

  1. Lacking energy
  2. Anxious and restless
  3. In severe pain
  4. Confused about time
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: A

The phrase "so tired and sluggish" defines the word directly, so lethargic means lacking energy. Restless is nearly the opposite, and nothing in the sentence mentions confusion or pain.

Question 2 of 3

"Some foods, such as citrus fruit, tomatoes and vinegar, are acidic." Which type of context clue does this sentence use?

  1. Synonym
  2. Example
  3. Antonym
  4. Definition
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B

"Such as" introduces a list of instances, which is an example clue. There is no contrast word for an antonym clue, and the sentence never restates the meaning, so it is not a definition or synonym clue.

Question 3 of 3

"The first report was vague, but the second one was explicit about every step." What does explicit most likely mean?

  1. Late and incomplete
  2. Unclear and general
  3. Short and rushed
  4. Clear and detailed
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: D

"But" signals a contrast with vague, so explicit means the opposite: clear and detailed. "Unclear and general" is a synonym of vague, the reverse of the needed meaning.

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