What Prefixes Mean Worksheet: Year 6 SPaG

Year 6 SATs SPaG worksheet on what prefixes mean: 20 questions in the style of the SATs, with answers. Free PDF.

3-page A4 PDF from the Tiger Shark Education question bank (Vocabulary and Standard English): two pages of questions (tick one) and an answer page. Example questions: What does the prefix sub- mean in the word subtitle? Tick one. (without, under, more than, before) / What does the prefix in- mean in the word invisible? Tick one. (too little, self, again, not)

What do prefixes mean? A prefix is a group of letters added to the start of a word to change its meaning. Many prefixes have consistent meanings: un-, dis- and in- often mean ‘not’, re- means ‘again’, pre- means ‘before’, sub- means ‘under’, inter- means ‘between’ and anti- means ‘against’. Knowing these meanings helps children work out unfamiliar words.

Common mistakes and tips: Children often think un-, dis- and in- are interchangeable, or misread words where the letters are part of the root rather than a prefix (uncle, display). Exploring families of words with the same prefix builds understanding. The SATs may ask children what a prefix means in a given word.

Questions on this topic appear often in the SATs. The skill also counts in teacher assessment of writing at the end of Year 6, so children benefit from both practice in test style and from using it in their own writing.

Ways to use this worksheet: as a lesson starter or plenary, as a quick assessment before teaching a topic, for intervention groups, or as SATs revision homework. The answer page lets children self-mark. After marking, ask pupils to write two of their own sentences using the skill, so they apply it rather than just recognise it.

Using the correct terminology: the SATs use the terms in the National Curriculum glossary, and children need to recognise them quickly. Display the key term for this topic with a clear definition and an example, and use it consistently in lessons and feedback. When children explain their answers, encourage them to use the term in a full sentence. Short, regular retrieval practice, such as a two-minute quiz on terms from previous weeks, keeps knowledge fresh across the year. Because grammar topics build on one another, gaps from earlier years cause difficulties later, so this sheet is also useful for checking that Year 6 pupils have secure foundations from Years 3 to 5.