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Adages and Proverbs is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on what a well-known saying really means, aligned to Common Core standard L.5.5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 12 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Adages and Proverbs

L.5.5

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1."Many hands make light work." What does this saying mean?
  • A.Hands are not heavy.
  • B.Work is best done alone.
  • C.A job is easier when lots of people help.
2."Honesty is the best policy." What does this saying mean?
  • A.Rules should be written down.
  • B.Honest people make the rules.
  • C.Telling the truth is the wisest choice.
3."Actions speak louder than words." What does this saying mean?
  • A.You should shout when you talk.
  • B.What you do shows more than what you say.
  • C.Doing things is noisy.
4."Rome wasn't built in a day." What does this saying mean?
  • A.Building work is slow.
  • B.Rome is a very old city.
  • C.Big things take time to achieve.
5."Where there's a will, there's a way." What does this saying mean?
  • A.If you really want something, you can find a way to do it.
  • B.Every road leads somewhere.
  • C.You need a map to find the way.
6."Don't count your chickens before they hatch." What does this saying mean?
  • A.Count eggs carefully.
  • B.Chickens are hard to count.
  • C.Do not rely on something good before it has happened.
7."Look before you leap." What does this saying mean?
  • A.Always check the ground before jumping.
  • B.Think carefully before you act.
  • C.Leaping is dangerous.
8."Necessity is the mother of invention." What does this saying mean?
  • A.People invent things when they really need them.
  • B.Inventors are always mothers.
  • C.Inventions are not needed.

LessonPrint · L.5.5 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Adages and Proverbs

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.A job is easier when lots of people help.
  2. 2.Telling the truth is the wisest choice.
  3. 3.What you do shows more than what you say.
  4. 4.Big things take time to achieve.
  5. 5.If you really want something, you can find a way to do it.
  6. 6.Do not rely on something good before it has happened.
  7. 7.Think carefully before you act.
  8. 8.People invent things when they really need them.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.5.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.