Expand Your Vocabulary With Our Antonyms Game

Antonyms are words that are contrary to each other. 

In other words, antonyms are the opposite of what you mean to say. 

Light isn’t dark. 

Wet isn’t dry. 

The sky isn’t the ground. 

And we learn how to identify antonyms because sometimes knowing the opposite of what you want to say helps you find the right words. 

How To Play Antonym Dominoes

Students will take turns matching each side of the dominoes to pair up opposing words. 

For example, if a player were to lay down the “hot | careful” domino, the next player would lay down the “cold” domino on the left, or the “reckless” on the left, and say the antonyms as they lay their piece down. Gameplay continues in this manner until all of the dominoes are gone. 

Scaffolding + Extension Tips 

Support students who need help understanding the concepts by providing visuals like an anchor chart or an antonyms poster. Students can also practice using their dictionary skills by looking up words they do not know. 

Challenge fast finishers who understand the concepts to use each set of antonyms in a sentence. 

Get our 10 Best Scaffolding Strategies here! 

Plus 3 More Ways to Use This Antonyms Game 

We created this resource for your reading center as an independent practice activity. We also suggest using it to reinforce your small group and full-class lessons in the following ways: 

🧠 Antonyms Brain Buster

As a small group or whole class, say each word out loud, one at a time, and talk about the definition. Then, give the students 30 seconds (you keep time) to think of as many antonyms for that word as they can. When the time is up, you can call on students to give you some examples of their words, or compare their answers with a peer to see if there are any matching words amongst classmates.

👯‍♀️ Odd Man Out

Place three cards at each station, making sure two cards are antonyms, and the 3rd card doesn’t belong. Student pairs will rotate through each station and identify the matching words, writing their answers on a separate sheet of paper.  

🃏 Upcycle Into Playing Cards

When students no longer want to play dominoes, turn this game into a deck of cards! Break out your scissors and cut the dominoes in half. Students can play games like Match It, Go Fish, or Snap, to name a few. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Before You Download

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. An answer key is also included with this download.

---

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Fill your reading center with even more antonym games and activities to choose from: