Synonyms Worksheets
Third graders trade common words for richer synonyms (brave and courageous, gather and collect) and learn the "almost" in almost the same: shades of meaning matter, and gigantic outgrows big. Choosing the true synonym over a related-but-different word is the skill.
By grade
What students need to know
Synonyms are words that mean almost the same thing: happy and glad, big and large.
This skill runs from 2nd grade through 4th grade. Pick a grade above for level-matched sentences, teaching notes, and worksheets.
Synonyms across the grades
2nd Grade
Synonyms are words with nearly the same meaning: happy and glad, fast and quick, small and little. Second graders match everyday pairs, which quietly grows their vocabulary in both directions; every new synonym is a second way to say something they already know.
3rd Grade
Third graders trade common words for richer synonyms (brave and courageous, gather and collect) and learn the "almost" in almost the same: shades of meaning matter, and gigantic outgrows big. Choosing the true synonym over a related-but-different word is the skill.
4th Grade
By 4th grade, synonym work feeds writing directly: swapping a tired word for a sharper one (worried for anxious, vanish for disappear) and noticing that synonyms carry different strengths and moods. This is the grade-4 standard's synonym-antonym work in its natural habitat.