SYNONYMS
BY
CONNIE OCHSNER
What is a synonym?
A synonym is a word that means the
same or about the same thing as another
word.
Examples:
mad means about the same thing as angry
rock means about the same thing as
stone
yell
means about the same thing as
shout
boy
means about the same thing as
lad
Making the Connection
Let’s read the story of
The Three Little Pigs to see how
synonyms work.
The Three Little Pigs
Once upon a time there lived three little pigs.
They were very happy. But one fine day, their father
asked them to leave home. They were growing older,
and he wished for the three to go out on their own.
The three were shocked! How could they
leave their father’s house. It was so large and
comfortable.
Do you know what the underlined words mean?
Let’s try reading the same story with
some new words in place of the
underlined words.
Once upon a time there lived three diminutive
swine. They were very elated. But one splendid day,
their father requested that they depart. They were
growing older, and he wished for the trio to go out on
their own.
The three were stunned! How could they leave
their father’s residence? It was so vast and comfortable.
Look at the new underlined words. These words are
synonyms for the underlined words in the first version
of The Three Little Pigs.
Review
A synonym is a word that means the same
or about the same as another word.
Look at which words from the first version of
The Three Little Pigs
mean the same as synonyms from the second version.
little  diminutive
leave  depart
pigs  swine
three  trio
happy  elated
shocked  stunned
fine  splendid
house  residence
asked  requested
large  vast
Let’s match them up . . . .
First version










large
pigs
fine
three
shocked
happy
asked
little
leave
house
Second version










elated
vast
residence
stunned
trio
depart
requested
splendid
swine
diminutive
Your Turn
Copy the sentences below. Fill in the blank with a
word from the word bank.
1. I can’t believe how___________the Grand Canyon is.
2. If we don’t____________soon, we’ll be late.
3. When we move into our new______________, I’ll have a room of my own.
4. Mary was ___________that her best friend would be coming tomorrow.
5. The____________lamb scampered across the meadow.
6. She was ______________when she opened the vault and the jewels were gone!
7. Together the king and queen entered their _______________garden.
8. The farmer put the________________-in the pen to feed them.
9. When Bill entered the new classroom, he _____________a math book.
10. Sara, Martin, and Jill are the new singers in the ______________.
elated
vast
requested
residence
splendid
stunned trio
swine
diminutive
depart
Check Yourself

1. I can’t believe how vast the Grand Canyon is.

2. If we don’t depart soon, we’ll be late.

3. When we move into our new residence, I’ll have a room of my own.

4. Mary was elated that her best friend would be coming tomorrow.

5. The diminutive lamb scampered across the meadow.

6. She was stunned when she opened the vault and the jewels were
gone!

7. Together the king and queen entered their splendid garden.

8. The farmer put the swine in the pen to feed them.

9. When Bill entered the new classroom, he requested a math book.

10. Sara, Martin, and Jill are the new singers in the trio.