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Literal and Nonliteral is a free printable Grade 3 English worksheet on telling apart what words say and what they mean, aligned to Common Core standard L.3.5. 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 pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 25 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.

Literal and Nonliteral

L.3.5

NameDate

Tick the right answer.

1."The early bird catches the worm." What does this really mean?
  • A.Birds that wake early find food.
  • B.Those who act first do best.
2."His words were music to her ears." What does this really mean?
  • A.His words were played on instruments.
  • B.What he said was very pleasing to hear.
3."Time is a thief." What does this really mean?
  • A.Time steals objects.
  • B.Time takes things from us without our noticing.
4."Do not judge a book by its cover." What does this really mean?
  • A.Do not decide what something is worth from its appearance.
  • B.Books should be read before rating.
5."The snow is a white blanket." What does this really mean?
  • A.The snow covers everything evenly.
  • B.The snow is bedding.
6."Practice makes perfect." What does this really mean?
  • A.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.
  • B.Practising creates perfection.
7."The classroom was a zoo." What does this really mean?
  • A.Animals were kept in the classroom.
  • B.The classroom was noisy and wild.
8."Every cloud has a silver lining." What does this really mean?
  • A.Something good can be found in a bad situation.
  • B.Clouds are edged with silver.

LessonPrint · L.3.5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Literal and Nonliteral

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Those who act first do best.
  2. 2.What he said was very pleasing to hear.
  3. 3.Time takes things from us without our noticing.
  4. 4.Do not decide what something is worth from its appearance.
  5. 5.The snow covers everything evenly.
  6. 6.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.
  7. 7.The classroom was noisy and wild.
  8. 8.Something good can be found in a bad situation.

More practice for L.3.5

Understand literal and non-literal meanings, and shades of meaning.

Teaching this next? Literal, Figurative and Word Relationships is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 3 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.3.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.