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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 23 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."Hold your horses." What does this really mean?
  • A.Grip some horses.
  • B.Wait and slow down.
2."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.
3."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.
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 standing on a cloud.
  • B.He was extremely happy.
6."Break a leg!" What does this really mean?
  • A.Injure your leg.
  • B.Good luck.
7."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.
8."Practice makes perfect." What does this really mean?
  • A.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.
  • B.Practising creates perfection.

LessonPrint · L.4.5 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Similes, Metaphors and Idioms

Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Wait and slow down.
  2. 2.Those who act first do best.
  3. 3.She gave away a secret.
  4. 4.It is very expensive.
  5. 5.He was extremely happy.
  6. 6.Good luck.
  7. 7.Something good can be found in a bad situation.
  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.