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Similes, Metaphors and Idioms is a free printable Grade 4 English worksheet on explaining what a figure of speech actually means, aligned to Common Core standard L.4.5. 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 21 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.

Similes, Metaphors and Idioms

L.4.5

NameDate

Tick the right answer.

1."The early bird catches the worm." What does this really mean?
  • A.Those who act first do best.
  • B.Birds that wake early find food.
2."She let the cat out of the bag." What does this really mean?
  • A.She gave away a secret.
  • B.She released a cat from a bag.
3."Hold your horses." What does this really mean?
  • A.Grip some horses.
  • B.Wait and slow down.
4."Practice makes perfect." What does this really mean?
  • A.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.
  • B.Practising creates perfection.
5."Every cloud has a silver lining." What does this really mean?
  • A.Clouds are edged with silver.
  • B.Something good can be found in a bad situation.
6."It costs an arm and a leg." What does this really mean?
  • A.The price is body parts.
  • B.It is very expensive.
7."He was on cloud nine." What does this really mean?
  • A.He was standing on a cloud.
  • B.He was extremely happy.
8."It is raining cats and dogs." What does this really mean?
  • A.It is raining very hard.
  • B.Animals are falling from the sky.

LessonPrint · L.4.5 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Similes, Metaphors and Idioms

Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Those who act first do best.
  2. 2.She gave away a secret.
  3. 3.Wait and slow down.
  4. 4.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.
  5. 5.Something good can be found in a bad situation.
  6. 6.It is very expensive.
  7. 7.He was extremely happy.
  8. 8.It is raining very hard.

More practice for L.4.5

Explain similes, metaphors, idioms, proverbs, antonyms and synonyms.

Teaching this next? Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 4 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.4.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.