Students get to practice creative writing concepts on the worksheet titled "Expanding Vocabulary for Creative Writing: A Synonyms Word Find Activity." It starts by giving students an example of an overused word. Then, students must find synonyms for that word in a word search. The word find puzzle is a little different in that every letter is used exactly once, which helps students find all the words. They write the words they found below.

Next, students are given a short excerpt that uses the overused word more than once. They have to rewrite it using the words they found in the puzzle above. They also use it as a prompt, adding one or two more sentences to expand on the excerpt.

At the very bottom, students list their favorite synonyms to use in place of the overused words. There's also a reminder at the end of the page that encourages students to write something different instead of repeating themselves when writing.

Each worksheet includes clear instructions that guide students through each portion of the page. In addition, examples are already identified in the word find and written down below to show students how to complete the activity.

Learning synonyms is a great way for students to expand their vocabulary. It makes them better readers because it can enhance their understanding of what they're reading, but it also makes them better writers. By knowing multiple words with the same meaning, they can make their writing more interesting.

Start by sharing an overused word with your students. Then, ask them to make a list of synonyms. You could also create a puzzle or activity where they find synonyms for overused words in a word find or crossword.

Students can practice using synonyms by rewriting a sentence and replacing the overused word with different words with the same meaning. Matching games where students match cards with synonyms can be fun for very young students, while older students could practice using a thesaurus to find synonyms for common words.