Year 6 English — Shades of meaning
Choose between words that mean nearly the same thing but differ in strength or in feeling.
Name: ________________________
1.One word, please. Which shows more feeling — "liked" or "loved"?
2.The soup was so ____ that it burned her tongue.
- a) warm
- b) cool
- c) mild
- d) hot
3.Put these words in order, from the smallest to the biggest.
- tiny
- enormous
- large
- small
4.Which word shows the most fear?
- a) worried
- b) terrified
- c) uneasy
- d) nervous
5.Sort each verb by what it is a way of doing.
Groups: A way of walking · A way of looking
- peep
- stare
- march
- stroll
- wander
- glance
6.One word, please. Which shows more surprise — "surprised" or "astonished"?
7.All of these describe the same thing. Sort them by how they make the person sound.
Groups: A kind way to say it · An unkind way to say it
- confident
- slim
- big-headed
- skinny
- careful with money
- stingy
8.Match each ordinary word to the stronger word that means the same thing.
- hungry
- tired
- cold
- happy
- angry
- wet
- freezing
- furious
- exhausted
- delighted
- starving
- soaked
Answer key — Year 6 English — Shades of meaning
- 1. loved
- 2. d) hot
- 3. 1. tiny 2. small 3. large 4. enormous
- 4. b) terrified
- 5. stroll → A way of walking; stare → A way of looking; march → A way of walking; glance → A way of looking; wander → A way of walking; peep → A way of looking
- 6. astonished
- 7. slim → A kind way to say it; skinny → An unkind way to say it; careful with money → A kind way to say it; stingy → An unkind way to say it; confident → A kind way to say it; big-headed → An unkind way to say it
- 8. hungry → starving; tired → exhausted; cold → freezing; happy → delighted; angry → furious; wet → soaked