11+ English
Working out vocabulary in context — definitions, synonyms and shades of meaning in 11+ comprehension.
Word Meaning appears in 113 of our 571 ready papers (338 tagged questions). It averages 3 questions a paper worth about 2.26 marks each. The typical question allows around 1.8 min. It appears in 3 CSSE papers we hold.
Word-meaning questions test whether a child can use context clues, not just a memorised word list. Papers ask for a synonym, an explanation of a phrase, or which meaning fits this sentence. Children who guess from the root of a word, or who pick a synonym that fits everyday English but not this passage, lose marks. Teach them to read the full sentence, try substituting candidate meanings, and choose the one that preserves the author’s sense. Pair this practice with wider reading so unfamiliar words feel less threatening in the exam. When several options look plausible, cross out meanings that break the logic of the surrounding sentences. A short “plug-in” check — replace the word and re-read — is the fastest way to confirm the answer under time pressure.
A real tagged question from our catalogue — method included, not paywalled.
Ranked from our tagged catalogue — open a paper to practise the questions that actually test this topic.
Not sure whether word meaning is the problem? Mark any past paper on 11plusSolved and the report tells you which topics are costing marks — and how many.
