Free Meaning from Context MCQs with Answers

337 Meaning from Context MCQs from English, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Meaning from context requires inferring an unfamiliar word or phrase from surrounding clues, including definitions, examples, contrasts, cause and effect, tone and grammatical role. The intended meaning may differ from a dictionary’s first meaning, so collocation, connotation and the sentence’s overall idea must be considered together.

Last updated

337 questions · page 2 of 17

Very hard
  • A. Moribund
  • B. Vax
  • C. permacrisis
  • D. Succulent

Explanation: Collins chose “permacrisis” as its 2022 Word of the Year, referring to a prolonged period of instability and uncertainty.

Correct answer: permacrisis
Moderate
  • A. Range
  • B. Specialty
  • C. Drawback
  • D. None of these

Explanation: A forte is a person's particular strength, talent, or specialty. In the sentence, the field is not his forte means it is not his area of…

Correct answer: Specialty
Hard
  • A. Sophisticate
  • B. Spendthrift
  • C. Modicum
  • D. None of these

Explanation: A wastrel is a person who wastes money or opportunities, making spendthrift the closest synonym.

Correct answer: Spendthrift
Easy
  • A. John Milton
  • B. John Keats
  • C. Leo Tolstoy
  • D. William Shakespeare

Explanation: Anna Karenina is the famous Russian novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published in the nineteenth century.

Correct answer: Leo Tolstoy
Moderate
  • A. Chinese
  • B. French
  • C. American
  • D. Japanese

Explanation: The prefix Sino- relates to China or the Chinese, as in Sino-Pak relations.

Correct answer: Chinese
Very hard
  • A. 1756
  • B. 1719
  • C. 1757
  • D. None of these

Explanation: William Blake, the English poet and artist, was born in London in 1757. Therefore, option c gives the correct year.

Correct answer: 1757
Fairly easy
  • A. excited
  • B. terrified
  • C. bored
  • D. annoyed

Explanation: Hostages awaiting rescue would normally feel terrified because they are in danger and fearful for their safety.

Correct answer: terrified
Moderate
  • A. timid
  • B. frightened
  • C. lonely
  • D. scared

Explanation: Timid describes a person who lacks confidence or courage, especially in unfamiliar situations.

Correct answer: timid
Easy
  • A. popular
  • B. famous
  • C. quiet
  • D. handsome

Explanation: A popular person is liked by many people, which explains why the boy has many friends.

Correct answer: popular
Fairly easy
  • A. rely
  • B. reliable
  • C. reliance
  • D. reliability

Explanation: Reliable is the adjective needed after “a” and means dependable or capable of doing something well.

Correct answer: reliable
Fairly easy
  • A. injure
  • B. injured
  • C. injury
  • D. injurious

Explanation: Injured is the adjective or past participle describing a man who has been hurt.

Correct answer: injured
Moderate
  • A. bad
  • B. unpleasant
  • C. terrifying
  • D. shocking

Explanation: News about seven schoolchildren drowning would be shocking because it is sudden, tragic, and deeply upsetting.

Correct answer: shocking
Easy
  • A. big
  • B. new
  • C. sharp
  • D. long

Explanation: A sharp knife has a keen edge that can cut meat effectively. Big, new, or long describe other qualities but do not guarantee that the…

Correct answer: sharp
Very hard
  • A. imaginary
  • B. speculative
  • C. scurrilous
  • D. sarcastic

Explanation: Scurrilous means grossly abusive, insulting, or defamatory, especially in written attacks.

Correct answer: scurrilous
Moderate
  • A. uninterested
  • B. disinterested
  • C. self-centered
  • D. None of these

Explanation: Disinterested means impartial or free from personal gain, a desirable quality in social workers.

Correct answer: disinterested
Very hard
  • A. Sewing
  • B. Stitching
  • C. Darning
  • D. None of these

Explanation: Darning means repairing holes in fabric, especially socks, by weaving thread across the damaged area.

Correct answer: Darning
Moderate
  • A. Break
  • B. Snap
  • C. Tear
  • D. None of these

Explanation: Snap means to break suddenly, often with a sharp sound such as a twang, so it suits tensioned overhead wires.

Correct answer: Snap
Very hard
  • A. Selflessness
  • B. Over confidence
  • C. Sanctimonious
  • D. None of the above

Explanation: Sanctimonious describes someone who displays an exaggerated or insincere show of moral superiority.

Correct answer: Sanctimonious
Moderate
  • A. 14 days
  • B. 18 days
  • C. 20 days
  • D. 22 days

Explanation: A fortnight is a period of fourteen days, or two weeks. The word comes from the older expression “fourteen nights.”

Correct answer: 14 days
Fairly easy
  • A. Dull
  • B. Dark
  • C. Obscure
  • D. Opaque

Explanation: An opaque object does not allow light to pass through it. “Dark” or “dull” may describe appearance, but they do not specifically indicate…

Correct answer: Opaque