Southern Nevada Regional
Professional Development
Program
RPDP.net
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Improving Vocabulary
Synonyms, Antonyms,
& Homonyms
Created by Jill M. Leone
Reading Specialist
Copyright © 2006
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Students will –
• recognize relationships among words.
• identify synonyms, antonyms, and
homonyms in context.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
RPDP Secondary Literacy
RPDP Secondary Literacy
You can’t
saw with a
hammer.
That makes
no sense.
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It does when you
realize it’s figurative
language and means Learn what each tool
can and can not do.
Vocabulary skills are a
valuable tool.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Words are the tools not just of better
reading, but also of better -
• writing
• speaking
• listening
• thinking
RPDP Secondary Literacy
If you don't know enough words, you
will have trouble understanding what
you read and hear.
An occasional word may not stop you,
but if there are too many words you
don't know, comprehension suffers.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
The more words you have at
your command –
• the more effectively you
can communicate
• and the more influence you
have on the people and the
world around you.
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Better vocabulary skills will also
open many more doors to you
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In some ways words
are like families.
Just as there are
different relationships
among members of the
same family, there are
different relationships
among words.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
You probably have relatives who • like the things you do, but look
nothing like you.
• live in another city, but have
different accents.
• or are completely opposite
of the rest of the family.
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Words that mean the same thing but
look different are called synonyms.
Their meanings are very similar:
pretty – cute
calm – peaceful
kind – nice
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The simplest
way to explain
the meaning of
a word is
to use a
synonym as a
definition.
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Falsehood and lie are synonyms.
One way to define a “falsehood”
is to say that it means a “lie.”
Despondent and depressed
are also synonyms.
Using the easier synonym
increases your understanding
when you read.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Writers use synonyms to
avoid repeating words
and boring readers.
If you know one word in
a synonym pair, you
also know the other
without needing a
dictionary.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
When you come across
a hard word, try to put
a synonym in its
place.
This will help you better
understand the ideas
in a reading passage.
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Examples of Synonyms
Our desert is huge.
Our desert is enormous.
Our desert is gigantic.
Our desert is tremendous.
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Let’s look at some words that have
the same or similar meanings.
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baby
student
pretty
sick
smart
funny
brave
fear
scream
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infant
pupil
attractive
ill
intelligent
humorous
fearless
fright
yell
After her vacation, she felt rejuvenated.
With this feeling of rebirth, she felt strong
enough to take on any task.
A synonym for rejuvenated is–
A. sickly
B. weak
C. worsened
D. strengthened
RPDP Secondary Literacy
After her vacation, she felt rejuvenated.
With this feeling of rebirth, she felt strong
enough to take on any task.
Like other context clues,
synonym clues help us
figure out meanings of
unfamiliar words.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Looking puzzled, he said the hospital
was quite baffled by the child’s illness.
Select the best synonym for the word
baffled:
A. enlightened.
B. confused.
C. hurt
D. educated
RPDP Secondary Literacy
The crowd gathered at the concert
entrance at 3 o’clock and at 6 o'clock
the throng finally began to move.
Can you spot the two synonyms
here?
A. gathered and began
B. 3 o’clock six o’clock
C. crowd and throng
D. entrance and move
RPDP Secondary Literacy
After the disheartening news, he felt
very depressed.
Select the best synonym for the word
depressed:
A. cheerful
B. gloomy
C. ecstatic
D. fascinating
RPDP Secondary Literacy
After the game, the coach appeared
calm, yet everyone knew he was
extremely agitated.
A synonym for agitated is –
A. tranquil
B. relaxed
C. peaceful
D. upset
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Some words mean just the opposite of
each other.
Two words with opposite meanings
are called antonyms.
Use antonyms to help
you understand words
you don’t know.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Sometimes you can change a word into
its opposite by adding a prefix to the
beginning.
Adding the prefixes un, in, or im often
change a word into its antonym.
Examples:
certain - uncertain
correct - incorrect
perfect - imperfect
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Antonyms are often found in clauses
or phrases that signal contrasts:
• yet
• but
• however
• whereas
• however
• unlike
• although
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old
top
dirty
day
beginning
always
sell
sit
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new
bottom
clean
night
ending
never
buy
stand
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before
hard
wet
tall
after
soft
dry
short
easy
pass
fast
kind
difficult
fail
slow
mean
Antonyms
follow – lead
RPDP Secondary Literacy
live-artist.com/fairytales/pied1.html
Unlike the enduring compositions of
classical music, most hip hop music
will probably be ephemeral.
Select the best antonym for the word
ephemeral –
A. permanent
B. brief
C. short
D. temporary
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Unlike the enduring compositions of
classical music, most hip hop music
will probably be ephemeral.
Like synonym clues,
antonym clues also help
us figure out meanings of
words we don’t know.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Jason was disinclined to try out for the team. He
was afraid that his grades would suffer. However,
all his friends were eager for the chance to play
football.
Select the best antonym for the word disinclined:
A. enthusiastic
B. unwilling
C. unpredictable
D. cautious
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Mario is very clumsy on the soccer field,
but his two sisters are adroit and agile.
Select the best antonym for the word
adroit.
A. adept
B. dexterous
C. awkward
D. nimble
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Although some women are loquacious
and conversational, others hardly talk
at all.
Select the best antonym for the word
loquacious:
A. extroverted
B. communicative
C. sociable
D. reserved
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Rather than be involved in clandestine
meetings, they met openly in public
places.
Select the best antonym for the word
clandestine:
A. concealed
B. disguised
C. obvious
D. obscure
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Sometimes two words sound the same
but have totally different meanings.
These words are called homonyms.
too – to – two
there – their – they’re
principal - principle
Example:
We have too much to do in two days.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
eight, ate
waste, waist
seen, scene
bye, by, buy
seize, sees, seas
through, threw
deer, dear
flower, flour
sighs, size
route, root
flee, flea
I, eye, aye
wrap, rap
wear, where
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Heard
alike
Same
meaning
An
opposite
O
Y
N
M
N
T
O
O
O
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
M
M
M
RPDP Secondary Literacy
The groom searched the travel brochures
for a tropical ________ where he could
walk down the ________ with his bride.
Which of the following is correct according
to the sentence above?
A. isle, aisle
B. aisle, isle
RPDP Secondary Literacy
They ______ the bad mannered ______
from playing at the concert.
Which of the following is correct according
to the sentence above?
A. banned, band
B. band, banned
RPDP Secondary Literacy
We looked at three ways that words
are related.
When you read, think about possible
relationships between words and ways
they are –
• alike
• different
• related to each other.
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Improving Vocabulary:
• Word Families
• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Homonyms
RPDP Secondary Literacy
Copyright Notice
Permission is granted to copy (unmodified) all or part
of this PowerPoint for educational, personal, noncommercial use off-line as long as the copyright
message (Copyright © 2006 by Jill Leone) is
maintained on the title page. This material may not
be sold, duplicated on other websites, incorporated
in commercial documents or products, or used for
promotional purposes.
Copyright © 2006 by Jill M. Leone
RPDP Secondary Literacy