3rd grade synonyms worksheets
Third graders trade common words for richer synonyms (brave and courageous, gather and collect) and learn the "almost" in almost the same: gigantic outgrows big. Choosing the true synonym over a related-but-different word is the skill.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.3.5.c.
A new sheet every click.
The kind of sentences you'll get
Circle the letter of the word that means almost the same.
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Zip up your jacket, because a warm keeps the wind out.
sock · fork · coat
Answer: coat
- Grandma cooks supper on Sundays, and her always smells amazing. breakfast · dinner · pillow
- The movie will finish at eight, so it will right before bedtime. begin · end · bark
Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Choose the word. Circle the letter of the word that means almost the same. 10 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
Push one notch of richness at a time: happy to cheerful before happy to elated. When a foil is related but not synonymous (cold for winter), ask "same meaning, or just same topic?" That distinction is where 3rd grade synonym work actually lives.
Watch for: Synonyms mean almost the same, not exactly the same. Big and gigantic are both large, but gigantic is bigger. A word about the same topic isn't a synonym: orange isn't a synonym for pumpkin just because pumpkins are orange.
Common questions about synonyms
- How is a synonym different from a related word?
- Synonyms share meaning; related words just share a topic. Chilly is a synonym of cold, but snow is only a neighbor. The swap test exposes the difference: "a snow morning" doesn't say what "a chilly morning" says.
- What makes a good synonym question hard?
- Tempting foils. Our items pair the right answer with words that are related, opposite, or simply familiar, so students must check meaning instead of picking the word they've seen most. That checking habit is the real outcome.
Related worksheets
- 2nd grade synonyms A step easier, same skill
- 4th grade synonyms A step harder, same skill
- 3rd grade antonyms Same grade, nearby skill
- 3rd grade compound words Same grade, nearby skill
- 3rd grade homophones Same grade, nearby skill
- Synonyms, all grades The full progression
- All 3rd grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 3rd grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.3.5.c. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.
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