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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 22 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."Do not judge a book by its cover." What does this really mean?
  • A.Books should be read before rating.
  • B.Do not decide what something is worth from its appearance.
2."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.
3."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.
4."It costs an arm and a leg." What does this really mean?
  • A.It is very expensive.
  • B.The price is body parts.
5."He was on cloud nine." What does this really mean?
  • A.He was extremely happy.
  • B.He was standing on a cloud.
6."She let the cat out of the bag." What does this really mean?
  • A.She released a cat from a bag.
  • B.She gave away a secret.
7."Break a leg!" What does this really mean?
  • A.Injure your leg.
  • B.Good luck.
8."Practice makes perfect." What does this really mean?
  • A.Practising creates perfection.
  • B.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.

LessonPrint · L.4.5 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Similes, Metaphors and Idioms

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Do not decide what something is worth from its appearance.
  2. 2.Something good can be found in a bad situation.
  3. 3.Those who act first do best.
  4. 4.It is very expensive.
  5. 5.He was extremely happy.
  6. 6.She gave away a secret.
  7. 7.Good luck.
  8. 8.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.

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.

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