Meaning Match-Up

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 strengthen reading comprehension and paraphrasing skills by carefully comparing sentences that express similar ideas. Learners analyze an original sentence alongside three paraphrased options and determine which version best preserves the original meaning, focusing on accuracy, completeness, and subtle differences in wording.

Learning Goals

• Paraphrase Evaluation (Grades 5-6) – Students identify which rewritten sentence most accurately reflects the original idea.
• Meaning & Inference Skills – Learners analyze how small wording changes can alter meaning or emphasis.
• Language Precision Awareness – Reinforces careful attention to nuance, clarity, and fidelity in written language.
• Critical Comparison – Students evaluate multiple options and justify why one best maintains the original message.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary ELA standards.
• Multiple-Choice with Purpose – Goes beyond guessing by requiring close reading and comparison.
• Supports Academic Writing – Helps students recognize effective paraphrasing and avoid meaning distortion.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Ideal for literacy centers, test prep, independent practice, or formative assessment.

This meaning match-up worksheet helps students sharpen comprehension and analytical reasoning by distinguishing accurate paraphrases from misleading ones. By evaluating sentence choices and recognizing subtle shifts in meaning, learners build stronger paraphrasing skills and greater confidence in reading and writing tasks. Whether used in a classroom or homeschool setting, this printable resource offers meaningful, low-prep practice that reinforces precise understanding of language and meaning.

This worksheet is part of our Paraphrasing Worksheets Collection.