Words that mean almost the same thing

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Teacher's note

   “In every lesson, Ari asks how things work and what would happen if one part were changed. Ari is an ____ student.”

2. 1.

   Bo reads a teacher's note about Ari. Which word best praises the way Ari asks questions?

   • extraordinary
   • intrusive
   • nosy
   • inquisitive
3. 2.

   “Soft cotton knit. This sweater is ____ enough to wear all day without feeling weighed down.” Bo reads a shop tag. The shop wants shoppers to feel good about the sweater. Which word fits best?

   • thin
   • light
   • skimpy
   • flimsy
4. 3.

   “The mayor ____ that the old bridge will reopen on Friday.” Esme reads a news line. The reporter wants to report the statement plainly, with no opinion. Which word fits?

   • confessed
   • alleged
   • said
   • bragged
5. 4.

   “When I asked where my package was, the driver was ____ and walked away before I finished my question.” Jun reads a customer's fair complaint about a delivery driver. Which word fits best?

   • accommodating
   • dismissive
   • crabby
   • preoccupied
6. 5.

   Relaxed, casual, careless, negligent. Kira puts four words in order from the most admiring to the most critical. Which list is right?

   • relaxed, careless, casual, negligent
   • relaxed, casual, careless, negligent
   • negligent, careless, casual, relaxed
   • relaxed, casual, negligent, careless
7. 6.

   Pleased, proud, boastful, arrogant. Luz puts four words in order from the most admiring to the most critical. Which list is right?

   • pleased, proud, boastful, arrogant
   • pleased, boastful, proud, arrogant
   • pleased, proud, arrogant, boastful
   • arrogant, boastful, proud, pleased
8. 7.

   Polite, formal, stiff, cold. Milo puts four words in order from the most admiring to the most critical. Which list is right?

   • polite, stiff, formal, cold
   • cold, stiff, formal, polite
   • polite, formal, stiff, cold
   • polite, formal, cold, stiff
9. 8.

   Slender, thin, bony, gaunt. Noah puts four words in order from the most admiring to the most critical. Which list is right?

   • slender, bony, thin, gaunt
   • slender, thin, bony, gaunt
   • gaunt, bony, thin, slender
   • slender, thin, gaunt, bony
10. 9.

    “The coach urged the team to finish the drill.” Changed: “The coach pressured the team to finish the drill.” Pia changes the word urged to pressured. What changes for the reader?

    • The team now does a different drill, so the facts of the sentence change from the first version.
    • Pressured suggests unwelcome force, so the coach sounds demanding, though the same drill is asked for.
    • Nothing changes, because urged and pressured both mean the coach asked the team to finish.
    • Pressured makes the coach sound gentler and more supportive of the team, as if the coach were helping them.
11. 10.

    “The librarian reminded students to return their books.” Changed: “The librarian nagged students to return their books.” Ren changes the word reminded to nagged. What changes for the reader?

    • Nagged makes the librarian sound patient and kind to the students, as if the librarian were being gentle.
    • Nothing changes, because reminded and nagged both mean the librarian asked about the books.
    • The librarian now asks about a different set of books, so the facts of the sentence change in the second version.
    • Nagged suggests the librarian keeps repeating the request in an annoying way, though the request is the same.