Synonym or Antonym? worksheet - Free Printable

Let’s go through each word pair one by one. We need to decide if the two words are synonyms (mean nearly the same) or antonyms (mean opposites). Then we write “S” for synonyms and “A” for antonyms.

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1. sit / stand → These are opposites. You sit down, you stand up. → A

2. watch / view → Both mean to look at something. → S

3. work / play → Work is serious effort; play is fun and relaxing. Opposites. → A

4. pal / friend → Pal is just another word for friend. → S

5. car / automobile → Same thing! Automobile is a fancy word for car. → S

6. wild / tame → Wild animals are free and untamed; tame animals are trained or gentle. Opposites. → A

7. dull / boring → If something is dull, it’s boring. Same meaning. → S

8. teach / instruct → To teach someone is to instruct them. Synonyms. → S

9. hot / chilled → Hot means warm; chilled means cold. Opposites. → A

10. smelly / aromatic → Smelly usually means bad smell; aromatic means pleasant smell. Often used as opposites in this context. → A

*(Note: Sometimes “aromatic” can be neutral, but here it’s contrasted with “smelly,” so they’re treated as opposites.)*

11. noisy / quiet → Noisy = loud; quiet = silent. Clear opposites. → A

12. rapid / fast → Rapid means fast. Synonyms. → S

13. rare / uncommon → Rare means not common; uncommon also means not common. Synonyms. → S

14. near / distant → Near = close; distant = far away. Opposites. → A

15. miniature / small → Miniature means very small. Synonyms. → S

16. angry / irate → Irate means extremely angry. Synonyms. → S

17. musical / melodious → Melodious means having a pleasant melody — related to music. Often used together. Synonyms. → S

18. lead / follow → Lead means go first; follow means go after. Opposites. → A

19. protect / defend → Both mean to keep safe from harm. Synonyms. → S

20. buy / sell → Buy = get something by paying; sell = give something for money. Opposites. → A

21. jump / leap → Jump and leap both mean to spring into the air. Synonyms. → S

22. book / tome → Tome is a fancy word for a large book. Synonyms. → S

23. inside / within → Both mean being in the interior of something. Synonyms. → S

24. hungry / full → Hungry = want food; full = have eaten enough. Opposites. → A

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Final Answer:
1. A
2. S
3. A
4. S
5. S
6. A
7. S
8. S
9. A
10. A
11. A
12. S
13. S
14. A
15. S
16. S
17. S
18. A
19. S
20. A
21. S
22. S
23. S
24. A