Antonyms and Synonyms Worksheets

There are just over one-hundred and seventy-one thousand words in the English language. There are many times where these word will have the same exact meaning and purpose, this collection of terms are called synonyms. You also have words that are polar opposites, and they are called antonyms. This page is filled with activities that will help you learn the identify words that have the same meanings. It will also help you create your own words that have completely opposite meanings. Learning these skills will help become a much craftier writer. Your works will definitely be better received. Readers don't want to see the same words used over and over. Understanding the meaning of an opposite of a word and similar words takes some time. Using graphic organizers for this skill is extremely helpful. Click on the antonyms and synonym worksheet sets below:


Creating and Classifying Antonyms and Synonyms - In this topic we explore basic and intermediate skills to help learn to use the terms for ourselves.

Opposites - Any students who struggle with this concept will want to spend a good amount of time with this section.

Pronunciation and Clarifying New Words - While this may seem like unrelated topic, we encourage students to apply this skill of word classification when they come across brand new words to them.

Relationships Between Vocabulary - We learn how to use things that we know to determine the purpose of a term.

Pronunciation and Meaning of Words With References - This helps students learn how to develop a scheme for understanding unfamiliar vocabulary terms.

Relating Verbs and Adjectives to Their Antonyms - Verbs are difficult for students to begin working with because it requires more complex words.

Shades of Verb Meanings Kindergarten - Students begin to understand that there are varying degrees to which a word will work, even though it serves a similar purpose.

Shades of Verb Meanings Grade 1 - I like the example of "Crawl - Walk - Jog - Run" for students at this level, it really sinks in for them.

Shades of Word Meanings Grade 3 - Students explore a few more abstract thoughts here.

Using Relationships Between Words - This can be helpful in so many different ways.

Word Relationships - It is a great topic for understanding how interrelated everything is in the language.


What Are Synonyms?

Have you ever tried to describe where you live? Most people will refer to it as their home. Others might use the words: house, apartment, or residence. People that fancy the modern military or Middle Ages might refer to it as their living quarters. All of these words have the same or very similar meanings. We refer to words with the synonyms. I have yet to come across a word that does not have a rough synonym. I do mean rough, look up a few synonyms for fruits and it might be a stretch. Synonyms add a variety to our word choice which can make writing much more exciting. Here is a very interesting thing you can try with your class: Choose a chapter of any book and see how many synonyms you can spot in just that chapter. You can make it a class challenge.


Here are some examples for you:


hard:tough

basic:plain

apparent:evident



What Are Antonyms?

Antonyms are words that are opposite meanings. For example bright is an antonym for dark. If you think about it, antonyms are an antonym for the word synonym. In many cases words can have multiple choice of antonym. That is the beauty of the English language; we have a great many options. Many times that can be a bad thing. When we use antonyms in the same sentence it usually always means some form of conflict is taking place in that work. Many people like to attribute a positive or negative value to antonyms when trying to find it's complement. This doesn't always work out for emotional words.


Here are some examples for you:


mad:happy

black:white

manageable:impossible


How to Determine a Word's Antonym and Synonym?

Many times, during an exam you get a question related to synonyms and antonyms. These types of questions require you to choose the best option. Here are some tips to help you solve these questions.


Use Context Clues

If you ever find yourself stuck in an exam where you are given the question of finding a synonym or antonym for a word, you can use context clues to find the answer. Context clues can be extremely helpful in determining the antonym or synonym of a word. You can refer to the paragraph and try to guess the meaning of the word. You can use the context of the text to find out what the word really means. After that, it would be easier to choose the appropriate synonym or antonym from the options.


Go Through All the Options

Sometimes it is very difficult to decode the meaning of the word itself. No context clues, affixes, and root words are helpful in such situations. If you ever find yourself in a situation where no other way seems to help you out, then the best method is to go through all the options that you have. You will get a clear idea about the question once you have decided and understood all the options. You can easily choose the right option then.


Revise and Make Lists

One of the best ways to determine the synonyms and antonyms in an exam is to keep a list to yourself. Whenever you learn a new word, write down its synonyms and antonyms. Elongate the list as much as you like. The more words you put in there, the more are your chances of determining the synonyms and antonyms correctly. Read and memorize that list before taking the exam. This way you will remember the synonyms and antonyms better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Mother's Day Bouquet Preview