Prepositions | 4th grade Writing Worksheet | GreatSchools - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions from the list.

We are given this list of prepositions:
at, by, for, from, in, of, off, on, through, to, up, with, inside, outside, after, towards, underneath, across, except, between

---

First, let’s look at each sentence and think about which preposition makes sense.

1. The pencil broke ______ the sharpener.
→ When something breaks while being used in a tool, we often say “in” — like “broke in the sharpener.”
✔ Answer: in

2. I climbed ______ the ladder.
→ You climb *up* a ladder. That’s the common phrase.
✔ Answer: up

3. The ball went ______ the target.
→ If it didn’t hit the target, maybe it went *past* or *by*? But “by” is in our list. Also, “off” could work if it missed completely. But “by” means near but not hitting — that fits.
Wait — actually, “went by the target” means it passed near it. But sometimes we say “went off target” — meaning missed. Let’s check the list again — “off” is there.
But the sentence says “the target,” not “target.” So “went off the target” sounds odd. Better: “went by the target” = passed near it. Or “went past” — but “past” isn’t in the list.
Actually, “went through the target” would mean it hit and went inside — unlikely for a ball.
“Went under”? Not in list.
Best fit: by — as in “passed by the target.”
✔ Answer: by

Wait — let me reconsider. Maybe “off”? Like “went off course” — but here it’s “the target.” Hmm.
Another idea: “went toward the target” — but that doesn’t imply missing.
Actually, in sports, we say “shot went wide of the target” — but “wide” not in list.
Perhaps “missed the target” — but no verb missing.
Let’s look ahead — maybe come back.

Actually, let’s try “off” — “went off the target” — not natural.
How about “through”? No.
Maybe “across”? Doesn’t fit.
Wait — perhaps “by” is best. I’ll stick with by for now.

4. Try to lift the ball ______ the hill.
→ You lift something *up* a hill? Or *over*? “Over” not in list. “Up” is in list.
Yes — “lift the ball up the hill” makes sense.
✔ Answer: up

Wait — we already used “up” for the ladder. Can we reuse? The instructions don’t say we can’t reuse — but usually in these exercises, you use each once unless told otherwise. Let’s check the example: they crossed out words as they used them. So probably one-time use.

Oh! Important — in the example, they crossed out the words they used. So we should use each preposition only once.

So we can’t use “up” twice.

Back to #4: “Try to lift the ball ______ the hill.”

Options: up (used), over (not in list), across? “Across the hill” — possible, but not typical.
“Up” is best, but if we can’t reuse, what else?

Wait — maybe “up” was used in #2, so we need another for #4.

Alternative: “Try to lift the ball over the hill” — but “over” not in list.

What about “to”? “Lift the ball to the hill” — doesn’t make sense.

“Towards”? “Lift the ball towards the hill” — possible, but lifting implies direction upward, not just toward.

Hmm. Maybe I made a mistake earlier.

Let’s reassign.

For #2: “I climbed ______ the ladder.” — definitely “up”. That’s standard.

For #4: “Try to lift the ball ______ the hill.” — perhaps “up” is still best, but if we can’t reuse, maybe the exercise allows reuse? The instruction doesn’t forbid it. In the example, they crossed out, implying single use, but maybe for this part, it’s okay? Let’s see how many sentences vs how many prepositions.

There are 10 sentences and 20 prepositions listed — so plenty to go around. Probably single use intended.

So let’s find another for #4.

What about “across”? “Lift the ball across the hill” — not great.

“Through”? No.

“Underneath”? No.

“After”? No.

“Except”? No.

“Between”? No.

“Inside”? No.

“Outside”? No.

“From”? “Lift the ball from the hill” — means taking it away from the hill — possible, but not “lift ... from” in this context.

“To”? “Lift the ball to the hill” — doesn’t make sense.

“With”? No.

“For”? No.

“At”? No.

“By”? Already considered.

This is tricky.

Another thought: maybe “up” is acceptable for both? But let’s assume single use for now.

Perhaps for #4, it’s “up”, and for #2, is there another option? “Climbed on the ladder”? Possible, but “climbed up” is more accurate.

I think I’ll proceed and adjust later if needed.

Let’s continue.

5. We went ______ the house when it started to rain.
→ We went *inside* the house to avoid rain. “Inside” is in the list. Perfect.
✔ Answer: inside

6. The cat was hiding ______ the old bed.
→ Hiding *under* the bed — “underneath” is in the list. Yes!
✔ Answer: underneath

7. We ran ______ the road crossing them. They over ran.
→ This seems poorly worded. “They over ran” might be typo — perhaps “they overran us” or “we overran them”?
But the sentence is: “We ran ______ the road crossing them. They over ran.”
Probably means: We ran across the road, and they were crossing too, and we almost collided or something.
“Across” is in the list. “Ran across the road” is perfect.
✔ Answer: across

8. It's just one thing ______ another!
→ Common phrase: “one thing after another” — yes! “After” is in the list.
✔ Answer: after

9. We just can't play ______ weather!
→ Play *in* the weather? But “in” might be used elsewhere.
Play *outside*? But “outside” is in list.
Common phrase: “play in the rain” or “play in bad weather” — so “in” is good.
But let’s see — “play outside weather” doesn’t make sense.
“Play despite weather” — not in list.
“Play regardless of weather” — no.
Best: “play in the weather” — though a bit awkward, it’s acceptable.
Alternatively, “play through the weather” — meaning endure it. “Through” is in list.
“We just can't play through weather!” — that could work — meaning we can’t keep playing during bad weather.
But “in” is simpler.
Let’s check availability.

Also, note: “weather” is uncountable, so “in the weather” is okay.

I think “in” is fine.

But let’s hold.

10. Let's get ______ a move.
→ Phrase: “get a move on” — but “on” is in list.
“Get on a move” — not quite.
“Get moving” — but not matching.
Common expression: “let’s get a move on” — so “on” should be used.
But the blank is before “a move”, so “get ______ a move” — likely “on”.
Yes, “get on a move” is a bit off, but in informal English, “get a move on” is the phrase, so perhaps it’s “get on a move” as shorthand.
Actually, upon second thought, it’s probably “get a move on”, so the blank might be for “on”, placed before “a move” — but that would be “get on a move”, which is not standard.
Perhaps it’s “get ______ a move” meaning “start moving”, and “on” is the answer.
I think it’s safe to put on.

Now, let’s list what we have so far:

1. in
2. up
3. ?
4. ?
5. inside
6. underneath
7. across
8. after
9. ?
10. on

Used: in, up, inside, underneath, across, after, on

Available: at, by, for, from, of, off, through, to, with, towards, except, between, outside, etc.

Back to #3: “The ball went ______ the target.”

If we haven’t used “by”, we can use it. “Went by the target” = passed near it without hitting. Good.

#4: “Try to lift the ball ______ the hill.”

If “up” is taken, what else? “To”? “Lift the ball to the hill” — no.
“Towards”? “Lift the ball towards the hill” — possible, but lifting is vertical, towards is horizontal.
“Over” not available.
“Across”? “Lift the ball across the hill” — not ideal.
“Through”? No.
“From”? “Lift the ball from the hill” — means removing it from the hill — possible if it’s on the hill.
But the sentence is “try to lift the ball ______ the hill” — implying moving it up the hill.
Perhaps “up” is necessary, and we should use it for #4, and find another for #2.

For #2: “I climbed ______ the ladder.”

Can we say “climbed on the ladder”? Yes, people do say that. For example, “he climbed on the ladder to fix the light.” It’s acceptable.

Whereas “climbed up the ladder” is more precise, but “on” is also used.

And “on” is needed for #10: “get on a move” — which is a bit forced, but let’s see.

For #10, is there another option? “Get to a move”? No. “Get with a move”? No. “Get for a move”? No. So “on” is best for #10.

So perhaps for #2, use “on”, and for #4, use “up”.

That works.

So:

2. on
4. up

Then #3: “The ball went ______ the target.” — use “by”

#9: “We just can't play ______ weather!” — use “in” or “through”

“In” is common: “play in the rain/weather”

“Through” could mean endure, but “in” is better.

Also, “outside” is available — “play outside weather” doesn’t make sense.

So “in” for #9.

Now, let’s write all answers:

1. in
2. on (instead of up)
3. by
4. up
5. inside
6. underneath
7. across
8. after
9. in
10. on — wait, we used “on” for #2 already! Problem.

Conflict: #2 and #10 both want “on”.

But we can’t use twice if single use intended.

So need to resolve.

For #10: “Let's get ______ a move.”

Is there another preposition? “Get to a move”? No. “Get with a move”? No. “Get for a move”? No. “Get at a move”? No.

Perhaps it’s “get a move on”, so the blank is for “on”, and it’s fixed.

For #2, can we use “up” and for #4 use something else?

What about “to” for #4? “Lift the ball to the hill” — not good.

“Towards”? “Lift the ball towards the hill” — still not great.

Another idea: “Try to lift the ball over the hill” — but “over” not in list.

Perhaps “across” — but we used it for #7.

#7 is “ran across the road” — that’s solid.

What about “through” for #4? “Lift the ball through the hill” — impossible.

I think the best solution is to use “up” for #4, and for #2, use “up” is best, but since conflict, perhaps the exercise allows reuse, or I misidentified.

Let’s look at #10 again: “Let's get ______ a move.”

Upon searching my memory, the phrase is “get a move on”, so the preposition is “on”, and it’s at the end. But here the blank is before “a move”, so it’s “get [preposition] a move”.

In some dialects, “get on a move” might be said, but it’s rare.

Perhaps it’s “get to a move” — no.

Another possibility: “get with a move” — no.

Or “get for a move” — no.

Perhaps it’s “get going”, but not matching.

I recall: “let’s get a move on” is the full phrase, so for this blank, it must be “on”, and we have to use it.

For #2, “I climbed ______ the ladder.” — can we use “up” and accept that “on” is used for #10, and “up” for #2 and #4? But #4 also wants “up”.

Unless for #4, we use “up”, and for #2, use “on”, and for #10, use “on” — but then “on” used twice.

Perhaps the exercise doesn't prohibit reuse. Let's check the initial instruction: "Choose one of the first five words... cross it out" — but that was for the example. For the main task, it says "use the remaining prepositions", implying single use.

But there are 10 sentences and 20 prepositions, so likely single use.

So we need to assign uniquely.

Let’s list all sentences and possible prepositions.

1. The pencil broke ______ the sharpener. → in (best)

2. I climbed ______ the ladder. → up or on

3. The ball went ______ the target. → by or off or towards

4. Try to lift the ball ______ the hill. → up (best), or to, towards

5. We went ______ the house when it started to rain. → inside (perfect)

6. The cat was hiding ______ the old bed. → underneath (perfect)

7. We ran ______ the road crossing them. They over ran. → across (good)

8. It's just one thing ______ another! → after (perfect)

9. We just can't play ______ weather! → in or through

10. Let's get ______ a move. → on (only reasonable choice)

Now, for #3, if we use "off": "The ball went off the target" — in sports, "went off target" is common, but here it's "the target", so "went off the target" might be acceptable.

Similarly, for #9, "play through the weather" could work.

Let’s try to assign without reuse.

Assign:

1. in

2. up (for ladder)

3. off (ball went off the target — meaning missed)

4. to ? "lift the ball to the hill" — not good. "towards"? "lift the ball towards the hill" — possible if the hill is in front, but lifting is vertical.

Another idea: "Try to lift the ball over the hill" — not in list.

Perhaps "across" — but used in #7.

#7 is "ran across the road" — essential.

What about "from" for #4? "Lift the ball from the hill" — if the ball is on the hill, lifting it from there.

But the sentence is "try to lift the ball ______ the hill", which suggests the action is related to the hill as destination or path.

Perhaps "up" is unavoidable for #4, so for #2, use "on".

Then for #10, "on" is needed, so conflict.

Unless for #10, it's "get to a move" — no.

I recall that "get a move on" is the phrase, so perhaps the blank is for "on", and it's fine.

For #2, "I climbed on the ladder" is acceptable in everyday language.

For #4, "Try to lift the ball up the hill" — good.

For #10, "Let's get on a move" — a bit awkward, but perhaps it's meant to be "get a move on", so "on" is correct.

And since "on" is used for #2 and #10, but if the exercise allows, or perhaps I have a mistake.

Let’s count the prepositions used.

Perhaps for #3, use "through" — "the ball went through the target" — if it's a net or something, but unlikely.

Another thought: in #7, "We ran ______ the road crossing them. They over ran." — "crossing them" might mean they were crossing the road, and we ran across, and they overran us or something. "Across" is good.

For #9, "We just can't play in weather!" — a bit odd, but "in the weather" is used.

Perhaps "outside" — "play outside weather" doesn't make sense.

"Despite" not in list.

I think I'll go with:

1. in

2. on (climbed on the ladder)

3. by (went by the target)

4. up (lift the ball up the hill)

5. inside

6. underneath

7. across

8. after

9. in — but "in" already used in #1.

Oh no, "in" used twice.

#1: in the sharpener

#9: in the weather

Both want "in".

So conflict.

For #1, is there another option? "The pencil broke off the sharpener" — possible, if it snapped off while in it.

"Broke in" is more common for tools.

"Broke on the sharpener" — not good.

"Broke with the sharpener" — no.

So "in" is best for #1.

For #9, "play through the weather" — let's use "through".

"We just can't play through weather!" — meaning we can't continue playing during bad weather. Acceptable.

Then #1: in

#9: through

Good.

Now for #3: "The ball went ______ the target."

Use "off": "went off the target" — in golf or archery, "shot went off target" is common, so with "the", "went off the target" might be okay.

Or "towards" — but that doesn't imply missing.

"By" is good for passing near.

But let's use "off" for variety.

So:

3. off

Then #4: up

#2: on

#10: on — again conflict.

#10 needs "on", #2 has "on".

So for #2, can we use "up", and for #4, use "to" or something.

Let’s try #2: up

#4: to — "lift the ball to the hill" — not good.

"Towards": "lift the ball towards the hill" — if the hill is where you're going, but lifting is not typically "towards".

Another idea: "Try to lift the ball over the hill" — not in list.

Perhaps "across" — but used.

I think the only way is to use "up" for #4, and for #2, use "on", and for #10, use "on", and accept that "on" is used twice, or perhaps the exercise has a typo.

Maybe for #10, it's "get to a move" — no.

Let’s look online or recall: the phrase is "get a move on", so the preposition is "on", and it's at the end. In this sentence, "Let's get ______ a move.", it might be that "on" is intended, and we have to use it.

For #2, "I climbed up the ladder" is so standard that perhaps "up" is reserved for it, and for #4, we use "up" as well, but since single use, not allowed.

Perhaps for #4, "Try to lift the ball from the hill" — if the ball is on the hill, and you're lifting it off.

But the sentence doesn't specify.

I found a better way: in some contexts, "lift the ball up the hill" is correct, and for the ladder, "climb on the ladder" is also correct, and for "get on a move", it's a stretch, but let's see the last one.

Another possibility for #10: "Let's get with a move" — no.

"Get for a move" — no.

"Get at a move" — no.

I think I have to conclude that "on" is for #10, and for #2, use "up", and for #4, use "up" is not possible, so use "to" or "towards".

Let’s choose "towards" for #4.

"Try to lift the ball towards the hill" — it's not perfect, but possible if you're lifting it in the direction of the hill.

Then for #3, use "by".

So final assignment:

1. in (pencil broke in the sharpener)

2. up (climbed up the ladder)

3. by (ball went by the target)

4. towards (lift the ball towards the hill) — a bit weak, but ok

5. inside (went inside the house)

6. underneath (hiding underneath the bed)

7. across (ran across the road)

8. after (one thing after another)

9. through (can't play through weather) — meaning endure it

10. on (get on a move) — accepting the phrasing

Now, check if all are unique: in, up, by, towards, inside, underneath, across, after, through, on — all different, and from the list.

List has: at, by, for, from, in, of, off, on, through, to, up, with, inside, outside, after, towards, underneath, across, except, between

We used: in, up, by, towards, inside, underneath, across, after, through, on — all present.

Perfect.

So the answers are:

1. in
2. up
3. by
4. towards
5. inside
6. underneath
7. across
8. after
9. through
10. on

For the second part, "Now write one sentence of your own, using the remaining prepositions on the list." — but since the user didn't ask for that, and the options are false, we don't need to do it.

Final Answer:

1. in
2. up
3. by
4. towards
5. inside
6. underneath
7. across
8. after
9. through
10. on