Teaching Synonyms this Week? Maybe Antonyms? Or Both?

We can help! Turn your budding linguists into walking thesauruses with our printable synonym and antonym activities.

This synonym-matching activity builds vocabulary skills and solidifies your students’ understanding of the meanings of words. By reading each pair of words, your students can identify whether the words are synonyms (words that mean the same) or antonyms (with opposite meanings).

This sorting activity is designed for upper elementary and middle school students due to more advanced pairs of synonyms and antonyms.

How to Use (Apply, Implement, Employ) This Synonyms and Antonyms Activity with your Students

This synonym and antonym sort could be used as a reading center activity since it involves cards and sorting mats. It has been designed for independent practice but can also be done with assigned partners. 

Before matching, students will lay out the two sorting mats. Then, they will read the pair of words on each card and determine if they are synonyms or antonyms. Finally, they will sort the cards by placing them on the correct sorting mat. We’ve also included an answer key to make the activity self-checking.

Scaffolding Your Synonym and Antonym Lessons

Synonyms require students to access their critical thinking skills by looking for the subtleties in word meanings. 

• For students who are grasping synonyms at a faster rate, have them use the synonym pairs in sentences.
• Students struggling to understand the concept might find additional support in a small group where they’ll benefit from extra attention..

Grab and Go Synonyms and Antonyms for Upper Grades

We suggest printing on heavy cardstock for durability if you plan to use this resource as a reading center activity. 

Before You Download

Use the drop-down menu to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version. An answer key is included in the download.

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This resource was created by Lauren Blankenship, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter Collaborator.