Why do some proverbs contradict each other?

Because life does. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and out of sight, out of mind are both true, in different cases. Choosing between them is judgment practice.

What is mastery here?

Deploying the right saying at the right moment, or spotting when someone else's proverb doesn't actually fit their case. That is rhetoric, beginning.

6th grade adages and proverbs

6th grade adages and proverbs worksheets

Sixth graders compare proverbs that conflict and argue which fits a given case, which is the sayings working as intended.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.5.5.b.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll fix

Complete the saying: choose the ending that fits, and write it on the line.

Coach says practice (is the best medicine / makes perfect / makes waste), and then she makes us prove it.
Fixed: Coach says practice makes perfect, and then she makes us prove it.
Mom says where there’s a will, (there’s a way / there’s a windmill / there’s a worm), usually while opening a stuck jar.
One burnt batch doesn’t ruin the bakery. Every cloud (catches the early worm / has a silver lining / spoils the broth).

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 6th grade sheet

6th grade sheets draw from 40 sentences, 8 to a page. 4th to 6th grade print from the same 40 sentences. The teaching notes below are written for this grade.

A few of the sentences, as the answer key corrects them:

The parrot screeched all through my excuse. Honesty is the best policy, I decided, and told the truth.
My brother finally apologized first. It takes two to tango.
Two of us checked the math and caught the error: two heads are better than one.

Fix it. Complete the saying: choose the ending that fits, and write it on the line. 8 sentences to fix per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Stage a proverb debate: look before you leap versus he who hesitates is lost. Pick a scenario and argue both sides. The debate is the deepest possible reading of both sayings.

Watch for: Proverbs are advice, not descriptions: each one exists to guide a choice. Matching the saying to the situation is matching advice to a problem. Some proverbs argue with each other (many hands make light work; too many cooks spoil the broth). Both are true in different situations, and knowing WHICH situation is the actual skill.

Common questions about 6th grade adages and proverbs

Why do some proverbs contradict each other?: Because life does. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and out of sight, out of mind are both true, in different cases. Choosing between them is judgment practice.
What is mastery here?: Deploying the right saying at the right moment, or spotting when someone else's proverb doesn't actually fit their case. That is rhetoric, beginning.

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Aligned to Common Core L.5.5.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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