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Anybody who flies abroad a lot will probably have interesting stamps and visas in their passport.

Same Meaning 1

Same Meaning questions test how well pupils know synonyms. They must choose words with the closest meaning, which builds vocabulary and strengthens verbal reasoning skills.

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Fascinating Fact:

Some synonyms are exact, like big and large, while others are close but not identical, like house and home.

In 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning, Same Meaning questions require careful attention to how words are used. Pupils must recognise subtle differences between synonyms to pick the best match.

Key Terms

Synonym: A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word.
Vocabulary: The collection of words a person understands and can use.
Context: The surrounding words or situation that helps explain a word’s meaning.

To see how this fits into the wider exam, read our guide on 11 Plus sample questions .

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are Same Meaning questions in the 11 Plus?

They are synonym questions where pupils must find two words with the same or very similar meanings, testing vocabulary knowledge and reasoning skills.

How can I improve at answering Same Meaning questions?

Read widely, practise with synonym lists, and use a dictionary or thesaurus to learn subtle differences between words.

Why are synonym questions included in Verbal Reasoning?

They test vocabulary, comprehension, and logical thinking — all skills that are important for success in both exams and everyday communication.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
The picnic will be ruined if you try to JAM all the sandwiches into that tiny space in the basket.

SQUEEZE

MARMALADE

SPREAD

PUT

'Put' is quite close to the sense, but 'squeeze' is closest to the meaning of the original. Squashed sandwiches are nothing like as good as unsquashed ones, at least for most of us!

2 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
Anybody who FLIES abroad a lot will probably have interesting stamps and visas in their passport.

INSECTS

TRAVELS

GOES

BEES

The outer two Answers are obviously related to a different sense of 'flies' (i.e. insects that buzz around, and broadly similar creatures); 'goes' is adequate but perhaps rather broad and vague; 'travels' (Answer 2) carries the better sense of organisation and purpose

3 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
If you just drop that heavy serving-spoon in the water, it will SINK and soak.

BASIN

TAP

PLUG

FALL

'Sink' may be the place in the kitchen where this might happen, but 'sink' in the verbal sense (rather than as a noun) means 'to drop, fall or drown' ... for which Answer 4 may not be perfect, but it's a lot nearer the sense than the others

4 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
There has been a COLOSSAL amount of comment in the press, and on the web and television, about this ridiculous story.

FAIR

SILLY

VAST

AVERAGE

'Colossal' just means 'very large' or 'gigantic': none of the other Answers offered that sense of disproportion

5 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
While he is recovering, they have suggested we keep him on a LIGHT diet.

PALE

FAIR

LAMP

SIMPLE

Each of these may, in the right circumstances, be a synonym for 'light'; but in this situation, the food needs to be plain and non-rich, so Answer 4 seems the nearest approximation to the sense intended

6 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
She is one of those people who WATCHES her favourite soap serial every day without fail, at the same time.

CLOCKS

SEES

CHIMES

FOLLOWS

Of course, 'watch' (the timepiece on your wrist, probably) and 'watch' ( = 'see, concentrate on') are related words, some way back; but in this case, we are dealing with a verb rather than a noun. 'Sees' (Answer 2) would work, but it sounds a bit passive; 'follows' (Answer 4) at least carries the sense of the girl/woman keeping up actively and deliberately with the unfolding soap saga

7 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
People like my aunt are managing to maintain a STABLE level of business, even when times are tough.

HORSES

RIDING

STEADY

PROFITABLE

She may well be running a riding establishment, but it is the steady income ('the bottom line') that's important. If the business is profitable as well, so much the better; but it may just be more or less 'jogging along' financially

8 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
Uncle Fred surely gets very BORED of sitting in committee meetings all day long.

TABLE

TIRED

FRIGHTENED

STIFF

Experiences which are 'boring' leave us feeling (among other things) tired, yet probably with a sense of frustration at time passed but wasted, and little if anything achieved.
The sound of 'board' is an irrelevance here ... even if the committee table is made of a wooden plank, and Uncle Fred feels correspondingly rigid from sitting up at it for hours at a stretch

9 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
Police are preparing to COMB the park for clues to yesterday's crime.

SWEEP

BRUSH

WASH

Even with hair, combing is probably a more precise, detailed and painstaking process than brushing. The police will be looking in very close and careful detail for shoeprints, hair or anything else small but potentially important. If they 'sweep' or 'brush' the ground, vital fragments might be lost or moved beyond the point where they could offer useful evidence

10 .

Pick the Answer offering the closest meaning to the word in CAPITALS.
The house has been noticeably calmer since Grandpa came HOME from hospital.

HOUSE

BACK

DWELLING

HOUSEHOLD

'Home' can often mean the other ideas, but here the point is that Grandpa is BACK among his family

Author: Ian Miles (Linguist, ESL and RE Quiz Writer & Tutor)