Word meaning
Word meaning
Word meanings questions test your ability to understand, identify, and analyse the meanings of words.
These questions assess your vocabulary and your ability to recognize relationships between words.
Word meaning
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
Types of 11+ Word Meaning questions:
Find words with similar or opposite meanings. Example: Choose the word most similar to happy: cheerful, sad, tired.
Word in Context
Determine the meaning of a word based on its usage in a sentence.
Example: In "The river was serene," what does serene mean?
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
Our first step should be to ensure we fully understand the question. Is it asking for synonyms or antonyms? How many words should we find?
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
Our first step should be to ensure we fully understand the question. Is it asking for synonyms or antonyms? How many words should we find?
We're required to find two "similar" words - so we need to find a pair of synonyms, one word from each group.
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
The next step is to compare each word in the first group with each word to identify synonyms. Although this is in fact 3 x 3 operations, many of them can be done quickly.
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
The next step is to compare each word in the first group with each word to identify synonyms. Although this is in fact 3 x 3 operations, many of them can be done quickly.
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
The next step is to compare each word in the first group with each word to identify synonyms. Although this is in fact 3 x 3 operations, many of them can be done quickly.
"Keyboard" is not a synonym for neither "grass", "dish" nor "dagger"
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
The next step is to compare each word in the first group with each word to identify synonyms. Although this is in fact 3 x 3 operations, many of them can be done quickly.
"Keyboard" is not a synonym for neither "grass", "dish" nor "dagger"
"Knife" is not a synonym for neither "grass" nor "dish". It is, however, very similar to "dagger". For now, the pair "knife / dagger" is our best match.
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
The next step is to compare each word in the first group with each word to identify synonyms. Although this is in fact 3 x 3 operations, many of them can be done quickly.
"Keyboard" is not a synonym for neither "grass", "dish" nor "dagger"
"Knife" is not a synonym for neither "grass" or "dish". It is, however, very similar to "dagger". For now, the pair "knife / dagger" is our best match.
"Mustard" is not a synonym for "grass", "dish" or "dagger".
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
Our best match is the word pair "Knife" / "Dagger".
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
Our best match is the word pair "Knife" / "Dagger".
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Keyboard Knife Mustard | Grass Dish Dagger |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Keyboard
Knife
Mustard
Grass
Dish
Dagger
Our best match is the word pair "Knife" / "Dagger".
Word meaning
Let's increase the difficulty a little
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Spin Note Ask | Talk Slip Dance |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Spin
Note
Ask
Talk
Slip
Dance
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Spin Note Ask | Talk Slip Dance |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Spin
Note
Ask
Talk
Slip
Dance
This question is harder for several reasons. First of all, many of the words are closer in meaning. "Spin" and "dance," for example, are not synonyms, but they might give similar associations.
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Spin Note Ask | Talk Slip Dance |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Spin
Note
Ask
Talk
Slip
Dance
Second, the correct answer involves words with multiple meanings—one of which is a bit uncommon.
Can you spot the pair?
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Spin Note Ask | Talk Slip Dance |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Spin
Note
Ask
Talk
Slip
Dance
While the word "slip" may immediately make you think of the verb meaning slide or fall, it can also be a noun meaning a small piece of paper. This would be a synonym for "note".
Word meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
| Spin Note Ask | Talk Slip Dance |
|---|
One word in the first group is similar to one word in the second group. Select the two words.
Spin
Note
Ask
Talk
Slip
Dance
As you can see, it's important to consider all meanings of a word. It's also important to consider whether two words are really synonyms or just related in the sense of giving the same associations. "Spin" and "dance" or "ask" and "talk" are not synonyms and have been included as red herrings to trick you.
Word meaning
Antonyms
Word meaning
Antonyms
Select the words with most opposite meaning
Arrogant
Gaudy
Humble
Opinionated
Flashy
Embarrassed
Word meaning
Select the words with most opposite meaning
Arrogant
Gaudy
Humble
Opinionated
Flashy
Embarrassed
This time we've been asked to find synonyms (opposite meaning). Again we must compare each word carefully to identify the best answer.
Word meaning
Select the words with most opposite meaning
Arrogant
Gaudy
Humble
Opinionated
Flashy
Embarrassed
This time we've been asked to find synonyms (opposite meaning). Again we must compare each word carefully to identify the best answer.
Several of the words have very similar meanings. Arrogant, flashy, gaudy, and opinionated are closely related, while humble and embarrassed may give similar associations.
Word meaning
Select the words with most opposite meaning
Arrogant
Gaudy
Humble
Opinionated
Flashy
Embarrassed
Several of the words have very similar meanings. Arrogant, flashy, gaudy, and opinionated are closely related, while humble and embarrassed may give similar associations.
This is done on purpose to confuse you. In order to answer the question correctly, you need to focus on the wording of the question: Find the words with the "most opposite meaning".
Word meaning
Select the words with most opposite meaning
Arrogant
Gaudy
Humble
Opinionated
Flashy
Embarrassed
This is done on purpose to confuse you. In order to answer the question correctly, you need to focus on the wording of the question: Find the words with the "most opposite meaning".
We can split these words into two basic groups: Those related to being self-important and those being shy or reserved. Splitting them into broader categories can help us quickly identify the strongest antonyms.
Word meaning
Select the words with most opposite meaning
Arrogant
Gaudy
Humble
Opinionated
Flashy
Embarrassed
We can split these words into two basic groups: Those related to being self-important and those being shy or reserved. Splitting them into broader categories can help us quickly identify the strongest antonyms.
It's now easier to identify the most direct synonyms: Arrogant / Humble. While gaudy, flashy, and opinionated are all on the spectrum of strong personalities, arrogant and humble are direct opposites.
Word meaning
Word-in-context questions
Word meaning
Word-in-context questions
The peace of the library was interrupted by a cacophony of noises as the boys dropped the bells down the stairs.
cacophony
serenade
surprise
macaw
Select the missing word
Word meaning
Word-in-context questions
The peace of the library was interrupted by a cacophony of noises as the boys dropped the bells down the stairs.
cacophony
serenade
surprise
macaw
Select the missing word
When solving these types of questions, start by roughly identifying what we are looking for. The indefinite article "a" would normally precede either an adjective or a noun. Since the missing word is followed by "of," we can presume that in this case, we're looking for a noun.
Word meaning
Word-in-context questions
The peace of the library was interrupted by a cacophony of noises as the boys dropped the bells down the stairs.
cacophony
serenade
surprise
macaw
Select the missing word
We can use the context of the word to narrow down our prediction. If we look for clues around the blank we see that we start off with something peaceful and calm, and we end with bells being dropped down the stairs. It's likely the missing word will be related to a sudden, disruptive sound. "Macaw" being a bird seems entirely unlikely, as does "serenade" being a soft-sung piece of music.
Word meaning
Word-in-context questions
The peace of the library was interrupted by a cacophony of noises as the boys dropped the bells down the stairs.
cacophony
serenade
surprise
macaw
Select the missing word
Out of the two remaining options, "surprise" doesn't fit the sentence structure. "A surprise of noises" does not make sense. That leaves only "cacophony".
cacophony
Word meaning
Word-in-context questions
The peace of the library was interrupted by a cacophony of noises as the boys dropped the bells down the stairs.
cacophony
serenade
surprise
macaw
Select the missing word
Before committing to the answer, let's re-read the sentence to make sure it makes sense both contextually and grammatically.
In this case, the sentence makes perfect sense. We can be confident that "cacophony" is the correct answer.
cacophony
Word meaning
Word-in-context questions
The peace of the library was interrupted by a cacophony of noises as the boys dropped the bells down the stairs.
cacophony
serenade
surprise
macaw
Select the missing word
cacophony
Look for descriptive clues in the sentence.
Word meaning
Hints and tips for word-in-context questions
Identify key words and phrases that give insight into the mood, action, or tone of the sentence. These clues guide you toward the correct word.
Word meaning
Hints and tips for word-in-context questions
Eliminate options that don't match
Rule out words that clearly don't fit the meaning, theme, or tone of the sentence, narrowing your choices.
Look for descriptive clues in the sentence.
Identify key words and phrases that give insight into the mood, action, or tone of the sentence. These clues guide you toward the correct word.
Word meaning
Hints and tips for word-in-context questions
Eliminate options that don't match
Rule out words that clearly don't fit the meaning, theme, or tone of the sentence, narrowing your choices.
Re-read the sentence to ensure your selection fits
Substitute the word into the blank and check if it maintains the sentence's flow and intended meaning.
Word meaning
Hints and tips for word-in-context questions
Re-read the sentence to ensure your selection fits
Substitute the word into the blank and check if it maintains the sentence's flow and intended meaning.
Read and practice to enhance vocabulary
Build a strong vocabulary by reading widely and practicing similar questions to improve speed and accuracy.
Word meaning
Hints and tips for word-in-context questions
Read and practice to enhance vocabulary
Build a strong vocabulary by reading widely and practicing similar questions to improve speed and accuracy.
Keep a vocabulary journal
Write down unfamiliar words, their meanings, synonyms and example sentences to reinforce learning.
Word meaning
Hints and tips for word-in-context questions
Keep a vocabulary journal
Write down unfamiliar words, their meanings, synonyms and example sentences to reinforce learning.
Incorporate recently learned words into your writing or conversations to solidify their usage.
Use new words in sentences
Word meaning
Hints and tips for word-in-context questions
Incorporate recently learned words into your writing or conversations to solidify their usage.
Use new words in sentences
Play word games
Engage in activities like crosswords, word searches or Scrabble to make learning vocabulary fun and interactive. Many of these games are also available as apps and online.
Well done! You should now have a very good understanding of word meaning questions for your 11+ Verbal Reasoning.
Remember: Verbal Reasoning requires both familiarity with the types of questions and a good vocabulary, so keep practicing and read widely!