Examples of Antonyms, Synonyms and Homonyms for Kids

By
, Staff Writer
Updated January 5, 2022
Elephant mother labeled "big" and baby labeled "small" as Examples of Antonyms
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    Elephant mother labeled "big" and baby labeled "small" as Examples of Antonyms
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    Manoj Shah / Stone / Getty Images
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    Used under Getty Images license

It can be tough to throw big words like synonyms, antonyms and homonyms into the mix when children are just learning to build up their vocabulary. Yet there are plenty of basic and fun ways to sprinkle examples of these words into everyday conversations with your kids.

Difference Between Antonyms, Synonyms and Homonyms

Your kids may have already picked up that some words have opposites, and sometimes you can use more than one word to say the same thing. Review these terms and their meanings with your child to give them a better understanding of language and how complex and fun it can be.

  • Antonyms are words with opposite meanings.

  • Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings.

  • Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings.

Antonym Examples

Kids can use antonyms to show a contrast between two things, emphasize a point or explain exactly how they feel.

add - subtract

above - below

after - before

aware - asleep

bad - good

better - worse

big - little

clean - dirty

closed - open

cold - hot

dark - light

day - night

east - west

even - odd

fail - pass

false - true

float - sink

gentle - violent

happy - sad

hard - soft

high - low

in - out

last - first

less - more

lie - truth

lost - found

love - hate

north - south

on - off

over - under

polite - rude

poor - rich

present - absent

quick - slow

raise - lower

right - wrong

rise - sink

rough - smooth

same - different

sell - buy

short - long

start - stop

stay - leave

stop - go

strong - weak

top - bottom

ugly - beautiful

up - down

white - black

wild - tame

win - lose

well - sick

wet -dry

young - old

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Synonym Examples

Synonyms provide variety in our speech or writing. It's important to expose kids to various sets of synonyms, so they can learn to avoid repetition.

afraid, scared, frightened

automobile, car, vehicle

big, large, huge, enormous

blank, empty, hollow

bunny, rabbit, hare

cap, hat

center, middle, inside

couch, sofa

evil, bad, wicked

famous, well-known, prominent

funny, silly, hilarious

garbage, trash, junk, waste

gloomy, sad, unhappy, miserable

happy, glad, joyful, cheerful

hide, cover, conceal

house, home, habitat, abode

ill, sick, unwell, ailing

idea, thought, notion

jog, run, trot

listen, hear

little, small, tiny, mini

look, see, glance, stare

mad, angry, furious, enraged

mother, mom, mommy, mama

neat, tidy, clean, spotless

present, gift, reward, award

quick, fast, swift, rapid

quiet, hushed, silent, swift

rest, relax, calm

rock, pebble, stone

rug, carpet, mat

run, sprint, dart, race

sack, bag, backpack

sniff, smell, inhale

strange, odd, weird, bizarre

tall, high, big, towering

true, right, correct

under, below, beneath

woman, girl, lady, female

yell, shout, scream, cry

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Homonym Examples

Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and sound the same but have different meanings. While this can be a tricky concept to explain, posting a nice list in the classroom may prove beneficial.

address - speaking to someone

address - a place’s location

bear - a large mammal

bear - to be able to cope with something

chair - an item of furniture

chair - the head of a department or board

change - to make different

change - coins; money given back

cool - chilly in temperature

cool - something trendy or popular

duck - a type of bird

duck - to lower your head

even - numbers divisible by two

even - flat and level surface

fall - to drop down

fall - the season between summer and winter

fire - to let someone go from a job

fire - flames, something burning

groom - to make tidy in appearance

groom - man getting married

jam - stuck

jam - spread made from fruit and sugar

left - one side of the body

left - what is remaining of something

line - measure of length

line - verse in a poem or story

match - competitive sporting event

match - a device used to start a fire

nail - the end plate of your finger or toe

nail - sharp piece of metal

park - area used for recreation

park - to leave a vehicle in a space

seal - a type of mammal

seal - a tight closure

tire - rubber covering of a wheel

tire - to become weary or bored

wave - move your hand back and forth

wave - a movement in water

yard - space of land around a house

yard - measurement of length

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Teach Your Kids About Words

Once you feel like your little ones are starting to get the hang of the English language, use worksheets and activities to help them commit these words to memory. Hopefully, your enthusiasm will spark a lifelong desire for a full and robust vocabulary.