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Academy11+

11+ English · Topic explained

Working out unknown words from context

You meet a word you've never seen. Do you give up, or play detective?

The big idea

The words and sentences around an unknown word give you clues to its meaning.

Picture it

Be a word detective: the words around it are clues to what it means.

Key words

context
The words and sentences around a word.
clue
A hint nearby: an example, an explanation, or a contrast word like unlike or but.
swap test
Put a simpler word in its place: does the sentence still make sense?

Worked examples

  1. 1Warm-up

    The puppy was famished, so it gobbled its food in seconds.

    • It gobbled its food in seconds…
    • …so famished must mean very hungry.
  2. 211+ standard

    Unlike his gregarious sister, Tom preferred to be alone.

    • Unlike is a contrast clue.
    • Tom likes being alone, so his sister likes company: gregarious means sociable.
  3. 311+ standard

    The path was treacherous: loose rocks and sheer drops lay everywhere.

    • The explanation after the colon is the clue.
    • treacherous means dangerous. Swap test: "The path was dangerous" makes sense.
  4. 411+ standard

    The old house was dilapidated, with broken windows and a sagging roof.

    • The examples are the clue.
    • dilapidated means falling apart.

The common mistake

The mistake

If I don't know the word, I can't answer the question.

Instead

Read around it, decide what kind of word it is, then try a simpler word in its place.

Why: The writer almost always leaves clues nearby.

Where it comes up in the 11+

Comprehension questions often ask what a word means in the passage, and the clues are nearly always nearby.

The video

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We're making a short video that explains working out unknown words from context step by step. Until then, everything it covers is on this page.

Free printable

Working out unknown words from context worksheet

Practice questions on this topic to print and try on paper, at home or on the way to school.

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Quick quiz

Have a go first, then tap to see the answer.

  1. 1. "After the long hike, Ava was exhausted and could barely lift her feet." Exhausted means…

    • excited
    • very tired
    • lost
    • hungry
    Show the answer

    very tired

    A long hike, and she could barely lift her feet.

  2. 2. "The usually boisterous class sat in silence for once." Boisterous means…

    • quiet
    • noisy and lively
    • clever
    • tidy
    Show the answer

    noisy and lively

    "For once" they were silent, so usually they're the opposite.

  3. 3. "The water was so murky that we couldn't see our hands just below the surface." Murky means…

    • cloudy
    • cold
    • deep
    • clean
    Show the answer

    cloudy

    You couldn't see things just below the surface, so the water wasn't clear.