Synonyms worksheets for Grade 5

20 free printable worksheets with answer keys · Grade 5 unit 4: Synonym nuance

Synonyms are the first vocabulary skill that asks a child to think about meaning relationships rather than single definitions: big and large, then the shades between big, huge and enormous. Simple synonym pairs are Grade 1 and 2; Grades 3 to 6 move to nuance, connotation and academic vocabulary. The common error is treating any related word as a synonym (big / tall, happy / laugh) and, later, ignoring register (kid / child / offspring). Sorting words by intensity and replacing a word in a sentence to see if it still works are the two drills that build the judgement. These worksheets match, sort and substitute; the Word Synonyms game gives multiple-choice practice graded by age band.

By the end of Grade 5: Spells derivational endings; explains root-based meanings.

Worksheets

Homophones Words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms, Antonyms & Word Intensity Shades of meaning and stronger word choices L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Recognize Homophones — worksheet 2 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Recognize Synonyms — worksheet 2 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Sort & Compare Homophones — worksheet 3 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Sort & Compare Synonyms — worksheet 3 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Match Meanings Homophones — worksheet 4 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Match Meanings Synonyms — worksheet 4 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Complete the Sentence Homophones — worksheet 5 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Complete the Sentence Synonyms — worksheet 5 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: In Context Homophones — worksheet 6 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: In Context Synonyms — worksheet 6 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Write Your Own Homophones — worksheet 7 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Write Your Own Synonyms — worksheet 7 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Mixed Review Homophones — worksheet 8 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Mixed Review Synonyms — worksheet 8 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Online Quiz Homophones — worksheet 9 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Online Quiz Synonyms — worksheet 9 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Homophones: Game Practice Homophones — worksheet 10 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Synonyms: Game Practice Synonyms — worksheet 10 of 10. L.5.5c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print

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Every game below reports results by skill to a free class dashboard, so you can see who mastered synonyms and who needs another round.

Word Synonyms

Lesson plan

Blended lesson 1 →

Teacher FAQ

At what grade are synonyms taught?

Simple pairs (big/large) in Grade 1 and 2; shades of meaning and academic synonyms from Grade 3 to 6.

What is the difference between a synonym and a related word?

A synonym can replace the word in a sentence and keep the meaning. Big and tall are related but not synonyms — a big dog is not a tall dog.

How do you teach shades of meaning?

Line words up by intensity — warm, hot, scorching — and ask where a new word fits. Sorting is more effective than definitions.

Synonyms in other grades: Grade 4 · Grade 6