Year 6 · SPaG · Spring: Vocabulary
Year 6 synonyms and antonyms together worksheet and PowerPoint
To tell synonyms from antonyms and to choose the best word for a sentence, using what we know about meaning.
Synonyms and antonyms
A synonym has a similar meaning; an antonym has the opposite meaning. When you choose a word, think about both: which word fits the meaning, and how strong is it?
| synonyms | big – large, angry – furious |
|---|---|
| antonyms | big – small, angry – calm |
| odd one out | three words are synonyms; one has a different or opposite meaning |
| in context | read the whole sentence before you choose |
Examples
- huge, enormous, vast, tiny → tiny is the odd one out
- She was exhausted after the race. (a strong word for tired)
Key words
- synonym
- a word with a similar meaning
- antonym
- a word with the opposite meaning
- odd one out
- the one that does not belong
- context
- the sentence a word is in
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Make a word web for the word 'happy': put synonyms on one side and antonyms on the other, and mark the strongest word in each group.
Pupil target: I can tell synonyms and antonyms apart.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the synonyms and antonyms together PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 50 of 72 in the Year 6 SPaG scheme, in the Spring term, block “Vocabulary”. It is taught before the SATs grammar test in May.
Other lessons in this block
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