Abstract Nouns Worksheets

Print worksheet gives 8 sentences: circle abstract or concrete for the noun in brackets after each one.

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Made at homeroomtools.comRead each sentence. Circle the word that fits.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.Abstract and concrete nounsGrandma knitted a red scarf. (scarf)concreteabstractA spider climbed the wall. (spider)concreteabstractThe brass bell hangs above the dock. (bell)abstractconcreteSuccess came after many tries. (Success)concreteabstractWe thanked him for his generosity. (generosity)abstractconcreteThe lemonade was cold and sour. (lemonade)abstractconcreteThe chef stirred the stew. (chef)abstractconcreteHer education began at home. (education)abstractconcrete
Made at homeroomtools.comRead each sentence. Circle the word that fits.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.Abstract and concrete nounsAnswer keyGrandma knitted a red scarf. (scarf)concreteabstractA spider climbed the wall. (spider)concreteabstractThe brass bell hangs above the dock. (bell)abstractconcreteSuccess came after many tries. (Success)concreteabstractWe thanked him for his generosity. (generosity)abstractconcreteThe lemonade was cold and sour. (lemonade)abstractconcreteThe chef stirred the stew. (chef)abstractconcreteHer education began at home. (education)abstractconcrete
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All 176 sentences

Abstract or concrete? 94

  • A candle flickered on the table. (candle)
  • A crab hid under the wet sand. (crab)
  • A dented bucket hung by the well. (bucket)
  • A farmer needs patience in a dry spring. (patience)
  • A goat nibbled the brim of my hat. (goat)
  • A ladybug crawled along my ruler. (ladybug)
  • A lizard ran up the cactus. (cactus)
  • A package waited on the front steps. (package)
  • A rattle rolled off the high chair. (rattle)
  • A shiny coin spun on the counter. (coin)
  • A spider climbed the wall. (spider)
  • A turtle sat on the warm rock. (turtle)
  • An owl hooted in the pine tree. (owl)
  • The baby stared at the fan with curiosity. (curiosity)
  • The baker sliced a loaf of bread. (bread)
  • The beauty of the sunset stopped us. (beauty)
  • The blanket smells like a campfire. (blanket)
  • Boredom set in on the long drive. (Boredom)
  • The brass bell hangs above the dock. (bell)
  • The chef stirred the stew. (chef)
  • The climbers needed strength. (strength)
  • The colt kicked up its heels in freedom. (freedom)
  • The drummer tapped the cymbal. (drummer)
  • The fable is about greed. (greed)
Show all 176 sentences (152 more)

Abstract or concrete?, continued

  • The farmer fixed the fence. (fence)
  • Fear kept the mouse in its hole. (Fear)
  • The firefighter has courage. (firefighter)
  • The firefighter was praised for her bravery. (bravery)
  • Good luck followed us all day. (luck)
  • Grandma knitted a red scarf. (scarf)
  • Grandpa keeps photos from his childhood. (childhood)
  • The gym was loud with excitement. (excitement)
  • He painted the canoe green. (canoe)
  • Her backpack has a broken zipper. (zipper)
  • Her courage surprised everyone. (courage)
  • Her education began at home. (education)
  • Her honesty impressed the coach. (coach)
  • His anger faded by bedtime. (anger)
  • His confidence grew with every game. (confidence)
  • His dream is to fly a plane. (dream)
  • Honesty earned her the captain's badge. (Honesty)
  • I admire your creativity. (creativity)
  • I folded the ticket into my wallet. (ticket)
  • I got the idea in the bathtub. (idea)
  • I packed a sandwich for the trip. (sandwich)
  • Jealousy made him grumpy. (Jealousy)
  • The judge is known for fairness. (fairness)
  • The kitten purred with joy on my pillow. (pillow)
  • Knowledge grows when you read. (Knowledge)
  • The lemonade was cold and sour. (lemonade)
  • The library smells of old paper. (library)
  • The lifeguard got a medal for bravery. (bravery)
  • The lighthouse stands on the cliff. (lighthouse)
  • Love filled the little house. (Love)
  • The milk left a ring on the table. (milk)
  • The moon lit the snowy field. (moon)
  • My cousin plays the trumpet. (trumpet)
  • My delight was plain to see. (delight)
  • My muddy boots sat on the porch mat. (boots)
  • My sister has a talent for drawing. (talent)
  • My uncle repairs old tow trucks. (uncle)
  • The old dog showed loyalty to its owner. (loyalty)
  • The old fisherman spoke with wisdom. (wisdom)
  • One slipper is missing from the closet. (slipper)
  • Our kite dangled from the flagpole. (kite)
  • Peace returned to the noisy room. (Peace)
  • The pencil rolled off the desk. (pencil)
  • The pilot misses his childhood. (childhood)
  • The players shook hands out of respect. (respect)
  • The plumber tipped her cap to us. (plumber)
  • The puppy wagged its tail with joy. (joy)
  • The river runs behind the school. (river)
  • Sadness crept in as camp ended. (Sadness)
  • She has a happy memory of that summer. (memory)
  • She remembered that small kindness. (kindness)
  • Sleet rattled the kitchen window. (window)
  • Snowflakes stuck to my mittens. (mittens)
  • The squirrel buried an acorn. (acorn)
  • Success came after many tries. (Success)
  • The teacher handed back our maps. (teacher)
  • The team marched off the field with pride. (pride)
  • Their friendship began on a rainy field trip. (friendship)
  • Their teamwork won the relay. (teamwork)
  • Trust takes a long time to build. (Trust)
  • The truth came out at dinner. (truth)
  • Waves crashed on the beach. (beach)
  • We ate lunch under the bridge. (bridge)
  • We felt relief when the dog came home. (relief)
  • We have hope for a sunny weekend. (hope)
  • We keep the rake in the shed. (shed)
  • We sat on the porch swing. (swing)
  • We thanked him for his generosity. (generosity)
  • We waited with great patience. (patience)
  • Winning took skill and practice. (skill)

Which abstract noun fits? 82

  • The ___ of losing her kitten made her cry. joy, pride, sadness
  • The ___ of the mountains amazed us. beauty, honesty, patience
  • A good night's sleep gave me ___ for the hike. childhood, honesty, strength
  • A mother's ___ for her child is strong. boredom, love, luck
  • After the argument, the two friends made ___. childhood, fear, peace
  • The artist's ___ shows in every bright painting. boredom, creativity, fear
  • The birds flew out of the cage to ___. freedom, patience, talent
  • Both teams trust the referee's ___. boredom, fairness, sadness
  • Building the fort together took real ___. fear, sadness, teamwork
  • The coach treats every player with ___. fairness, fear, greed
  • The crowd buzzed with ___ before the race. childhood, excitement, wisdom
  • The crowd stood in ___ for the old soldier. boredom, greed, respect
  • Dad's face glowed with ___ at my recital. anger, fear, pride
  • The dog's ___ kept it waiting at the gate. childhood, loyalty, wisdom
  • During her ___, my mother lived by the sea. anger, childhood, courage
  • The explorer's ___ led her into the cave. childhood, curiosity, sadness
  • Finding a dollar on the sidewalk was pure ___. honesty, luck, patience
  • The firefighter showed ___ in the fire. boredom, courage, sadness
  • Fishing takes a lot of ___ on a slow day. anger, bravery, patience
  • Grandma's ___ helps when I need advice. childhood, fear, wisdom
  • Grandpa spent his ___ on a goat farm. anger, childhood, honesty
  • He cried tears of ___ over his lost balloon. luck, pride, sadness
  • He shook with ___ when the thunder boomed. fear, pride, wisdom
  • Her ___ grew with every speech she gave. childhood, confidence, luck
  • Her ___ is to open a bakery someday. dream, fear, sadness
  • Her face turned red with ___ at the mess. anger, joy, wisdom
  • His ___ faded once he said he was sorry. anger, knowledge, talent
  • His ___ of spiders keeps him out of the shed. fear, love, talent
  • His ___ with his savings helped the food drive. anger, fear, generosity
  • I have a clear ___ of my first day of school. bravery, luck, memory
  • I trust him because of his ___. anger, honesty, sadness
  • I wished her good ___ before the big race. anger, luck, wisdom
  • The inventor woke up with a bright ___. childhood, fear, idea
  • ___ is being brave when you are afraid. Boredom, Courage, Kindness
  • ___ is being friendly and gentle to others. Fear, Kindness, Luck
  • ___ is staying true to your friends and family. Anger, Curiosity, Loyalty
  • ___ is telling the truth even when it is hard. Boredom, Childhood, Honesty
  • ___ is the feeling of having nothing to do. Boredom, Courage, Wisdom
  • ___ is the time of life before you grow up. Childhood, Courage, Patience
  • ___ is waiting calmly without complaining. Anger, Freedom, Patience
  • ___ is wanting to know more about something. Curiosity, Loyalty, Sadness
  • It took ___ to admit I broke the window. boredom, childhood, honesty
  • It took ___ to jump off the high dive. boredom, childhood, courage
  • It was a ___ to find my lost wallet. childhood, relief, talent
  • Juggling takes ___ and lots of practice. fear, sadness, skill
  • The kitten's ___ led it into the sock drawer. curiosity, honesty, sadness
  • The knight's ___ in battle became a legend. boredom, bravery, childhood
  • Lifting the heavy log took all our ___. curiosity, honesty, strength
  • Listening quietly shows ___ for the speaker. anger, luck, respect
  • The long wait in line tested my ___. beauty, childhood, patience
  • The lost hikers never gave up ___. anger, boredom, hope
  • ___ made him want every toy in the store. Greed, Peace, Wisdom
  • My ___ is to become a pilot one day. anger, dream, luck
  • My ___ with Ben started in kindergarten. freedom, friendship, wisdom
  • Our ___ began on the bus to camp. bravery, friendship, wisdom
  • The pony ran through the open gate to ___. childhood, freedom, honesty
  • The puppies yipped with ___ at the ball. delight, honesty, sadness
  • The puzzle was hard, but we never lost ___. anger, fear, hope
  • The quiet lake gave us a feeling of ___. anger, greed, peace
  • The rainy afternoon dragged on in ___. boredom, courage, success
  • Reading every day adds to your ___. anger, knowledge, luck
  • The sailors felt ___ when they finally saw land. anger, boredom, relief
  • The scientist's ___ of plants fills three books. anger, knowledge, luck
  • Seeing Grandma again brought me great ___. boredom, fear, joy
  • Sharing your snack was an act of ___. boredom, fear, generosity
  • She beamed with ___ when her painting won. boredom, fear, pride
  • She has a real ___ for telling jokes. anger, freedom, talent
  • She told the truth because ___ matters to her. boredom, honesty, luck
  • The story of the miser is a warning about ___. greed, joy, kindness
  • The surprise party filled her with ___. happiness, honesty, wisdom
  • The team's ___ came after years of work. childhood, fear, success
  • Thanks to her ___, nobody sat alone at lunch. anger, fear, kindness
  • That photo brings back a happy ___. anger, courage, memory
  • We cheered with ___ as the rocket rose. boredom, excitement, sadness
  • We clapped for the singer's ___. anger, fear, talent
  • We jumped for ___ on the snow day. anger, joy, wisdom
  • We watched the fireworks with ___. delight, honesty, sadness
  • Whose ___ was it to paint the fence purple? bravery, idea, luck
  • Winning the science fair was a big ___. fear, sadness, success
  • With nothing to do, the twins sighed in ___. boredom, courage, honesty
  • You earn ___ by keeping your promises. boredom, fear, trust
  • Your ___ to the new student made her smile. fear, kindness, luck

How this list was compiled: Written for this page. In the first set each sentence repeats one of its nouns in brackets, to label abstract or concrete. A concrete noun names a person, an animal, a place or a thing that the senses can take in; an abstract noun names an idea, a feeling or a quality, as in the Wikipedia article Noun, section Concrete nouns and abstract nouns, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noun, read 10 October 2026. Every concrete noun here is a person, an animal, a place or an object that can be touched; nouns that are argued both ways (music, laughter, weather, an event such as a party) are left out. In the second set each sentence has a blank and three abstract nouns; the meaning of the sentence fits one only. Each of the 45 abstract nouns was read as a noun, with the meaning used here, in its English Wiktionary entry, en.wiktionary.org, the same day. Abstract nouns are standard L.3.1c of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood)), published at thecorestandards.org and read the same day. First names are made up; no person, brand or character is named. Licence: own work

How it works

A concrete noun names something the senses can take in: a pencil, a turtle, a bridge. An abstract noun names an idea, a feeling or a quality: courage, joy, childhood. Each sentence repeats one noun in brackets to label.

Read the full guide

Abstract or concrete

The puppy wagged its tail with joy. (joy) Joy is a feeling, so the answer is abstract. The kitten purred with joy on my pillow. (pillow) A pillow can be touched, so the answer is concrete. The noun in brackets decides, not the rest of the sentence.

Which abstract noun fits

Under Set, pick Which abstract noun fits? Each sentence has a blank and three abstract nouns: It took ___ to jump off the high dive offers courage, boredom and childhood. Some sentences give a meaning and ask for the word: ___ is the time of life before you grow up.

  • Many abstract nouns end in -ness, -ity or -ion: kindness, curiosity, education.
  • Nouns that are argued both ways, such as music and laughter, are left off these sheets.

Questions and answers

What grade learns abstract nouns?

Third grade in the Common Core. Standard L.3.1c reads: Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).

Can a noun be both abstract and concrete?

Yes. Art is abstract in a sentence about what art means to people and concrete in I hung her art on the fridge. A key is concrete on a ring and abstract in the key to success.

Do these free concrete and abstract noun worksheets work for 2nd grade or 4th grade?

Yes. The Abstract or concrete? set has short sentences that suit 2nd grade, and the set with blanks works as 4th grade review. Outside 3rd grade the grade is our suggestion.

Does this grammar practice worksheet on abstract and concrete nouns have an answer key?

Yes. The last page is the key, with the right choice circled under each sentence. Uncheck Add an answer key as the last page under More options to print the sheet alone.

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