Synonyms, which GL phrases as "closest in meaning", are one of the most dependable scoring opportunities in the GL Assessment 11+ Verbal Reasoning paper. Your child is shown two small groups of words and has to pick one word from the first group and one from the second that mean almost the same thing. It is pure vocabulary, so a child who reads widely and knows the shades of meaning behind everyday words tends to find these very rewarding.
The GL Verbal Reasoning paper is fast, packing roughly 80 questions into about 50 to 60 minutes, with questions grouped into blocks by type and answers marked on a separate answer sheet. Closest-in-meaning questions usually form one of those blocks. GL does not publish how many appear, but our research estimate from analysing practice papers is somewhere around 5 to 10 in a typical paper, enough to make a real difference to a final standardised score.
On this page your child practises the genuine format: two word groups at a time, choosing the matching pair, with a worked explanation after every question. Because the explanations spell out why the other words do not fit, your child builds the precise vocabulary that the harder questions demand, rather than just guessing at a vague "near enough" answer.
Closest-in-meaning questions draw on several layers of vocabulary knowledge. GL does not publish a breakdown, so the order below is our research estimate, listed roughly from most to least common:
Difficulty climbs from common Year 4 words at the easy end, through curriculum vocabulary in the middle, up to sophisticated words such as tranquil, obstinate and diligent at the hard end, where one group often plants a tempting opposite as a trap.
Five questions drawn from PrepStep’s synonyms bank, spanning Foundation to Challenging. Tap “Show worked explanation” to see the full method after you’ve had a go. The correct answer is highlighted on each question so you can check immediately.
Choose one word from each group that are closest in meaning.
Group A
Group B
'Wealthy' and 'rich' both mean having a lot of money or possessions. 'Famous' means well known (you can be famous without being rich!). 'Polite' means well-mannered, 'honest' means truthful, 'strict' means firm with rules. ✓
Choose one word from each group that are closest in meaning.
Group A
Group B
'Demonstrate' and 'show' both mean to display something or make it visible. 'Whisper' means to speak softly, 'collect' means to gather, 'announce' means to declare, 'borrow' means to take temporarily. ✓
Choose one word from each group that are closest in meaning.
Group A
Group B
'Headstrong' and 'resolute' both mean firmly determined and unwilling to be swayed. 'Modest' means humble, 'cheerful' means happy, 'hollow' means empty inside, 'gentle' means soft. ✓
Choose one word from each group that are closest in meaning.
Group A
Group B
'Bewildered' and 'confused' both mean completely unable to understand what is happening. 'Confident' is nearly the opposite. 'Suspicious' means distrustful, 'reluctant' means unwilling, 'hostile' means aggressive. ✓
Choose one word from each group that are closest in meaning.
Group A
Group B
'Joyful' and 'happy' both mean feeling great pleasure or delight. 'Brave' means courageous, 'polite' means well-mannered, 'honest' means truthful, 'strict' means firm. ✓
Common mistake 1 of 4
Choosing a word that is related but not actually the same meaning.
Tip: GL fills the groups with words from the same topic, so famous sits next to wealthy and rich. Teach your child to ask "could one word genuinely replace the other in a sentence?", not just "are these about similar things?".
Common mistake 2 of 4
Falling for the opposite hiding in the group.
Tip: A favourite GL trap places an antonym in plain sight, such as reveal in a group where conceal is the answer. Remind your child that closest in meaning never means opposite, however neat the pairing looks.
Common mistake 3 of 4
Matching on intensity rather than meaning.
Tip: Angry, furious and irritated share a feeling but differ in strength. Encourage your child to match words at the same level, not just within the same family of emotions.
Common mistake 4 of 4
Picking the first plausible word and stopping.
Tip: Both groups must work together, so the best pair is the one where each word clearly matches the other. Train your child to test their chosen word against every option in the second group before committing.
They are "closest in meaning" questions. Your child sees two small groups of words and has to choose one word from each group that mean almost the same thing, for example begin from one group and start from the other. They test the depth and precision of your child's vocabulary.
Through multiple choice with answers marked on a separate answer sheet. Each question shows two groups of words, and your child selects the matching pair, one word from each group. The words are chosen so that several look related, which is what makes the task more than simply knowing the words.
GL does not publish exact numbers, but our research estimate from practice papers is around 5 to 10 closest-in-meaning questions in a typical Verbal Reasoning paper of roughly 80 questions. They usually appear together as one block within the paper.
Telling apart words that are close but not quite the same, and ignoring the opposite that GL likes to slip into the group. The toughest questions use Year 5 and 6 vocabulary such as obstinate or tranquil, where your child needs a confident grasp of the exact meaning rather than a rough idea.
Wide reading is the foundation, because it exposes your child to words used in real context with their precise meaning. On top of that, free PrepStep practice gives one closest-in-meaning question at a time with a worked explanation, so your child learns why the matching pair works and why the tempting distractors do not.
PrepStep has 155 synonyms questions in GL Assessment format: five options, instant feedback, and step-by-step explanations. Free to start.
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