Basic Details
Word: Means
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A way or method of doing something; also money or wealth, as in a family of modest means.
Synonyms: way, method, resources, wealth
How to Spell Means
Syllables: means
Tricky part: The word always ends in s, even when it refers to one way: a means of transport. The vowel pair is ea, not ee.
Watch out for: meens, meanes, meanz
Memory tip: One way or many, the s never leaves: a means, two means, all ending in s.
Idioms and Phrases
- by all means: certainly; of course. Example: "By all means, borrow my atlas for the project."
- a means to an end: something done only to reach a goal, not for its own sake. Example: "For him, the summer job was a means to an end: he wanted a new bicycle."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Email is a quick means of sending homework to the teacher.
Example 2: The family lived within their means and saved a little every month.
Example 3: Writing letters was once the only means of keeping in touch with relatives abroad.
Fun Fact
A means test is a check on how much money a person has before they are given help such as a scholarship or a loan.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to means as used in the sentence:
For the islanders, the ferry is the only means of reaching the market on the mainland.
a) way
b) end
c) reason
d) goal
Show answer
a) way. A means is a way of doing something; goal and end are what you reach, not how you reach it.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
My grandfather insists that a bicycle is still the cheapest meens of getting around our crowded town, especially in the evening rush.
a) meens
b) crowded
c) insists
d) especially
Show answer
a) meens. Means is built on mean, so it keeps the ea.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The metro is the fastest esanm of crossing Delhi in the morning.
a) mines
b) means
c) names
d) menus
Show answer
b) means. Names uses the same letters, but the fastest names of crossing makes no sense; menus and mines have the wrong letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What does 'by all means' mean when someone asks to borrow your pen?
a) certainly, go ahead
b) only for an hour
c) not at all
d) pay me first
Show answer
a) certainly, go ahead
2. A family 'of modest means' has ____.
a) many cars
b) no friends
c) great wealth
d) not much money
Show answer
d) not much money
