"Synonym Word Find" is a worksheet that combines a traditional word search puzzle and synonyms. Nine words are listed at the top of the page inside their own boxes. Each box also contains a short list of additional words. Students have to select the word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the given word.

After they find the synonyms for the words at the top of the page, they look for each word down below in the word find. The synonym for each word must also be found in the puzzle. If students can't find the synonym they selected, they have to go back and choose a different word.

Learning synonyms builds reading comprehension skills so students can better understand what they're reading. Just telling students which words are synonyms or having them look up synonyms in a thesaurus can be helpful, but they are more likely to stick when students complete engaging activities.

For example, you could use a word search where students must find the synonym for each word on the list. Then, they find the word and its synonym in the word find.

Crosswords can be fun too. The clue can be a word or phrase, and students have to find the synonym that fits in the boxes in the puzzle. Matching activities and Mad Lib-style passages can also be fun ways for students to practice synonyms.