Home / English / Printables / Grade 4 / Similes, Metaphors and Idioms 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 students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
One paper per student
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
Similes, Metaphors and Idioms L.4.5
Name Date
Circle the right answer.
1. "She ran like the wind." What does this simile mean?
A. She ran slowly. B. She blew around. C. She ran very fast. 2. "The room was as cold as ice." What does this simile mean?
A. The room was very cold. B. The room was full of ice. C. The room was warm. 3. "The test was a piece of cake." What does this idiom mean?
A. The test was hard. B. The test was very easy. C. The test was about cake. 4. "He is feeling under the weather." What does this idiom mean?
A. He is very happy. B. He is feeling a little ill. C. He is standing under a cloud. 5. "His bedroom was a pigsty." What does this metaphor mean?
A. Pigs lived in his bedroom. B. His bedroom was very messy. C. His bedroom was neat. 6. "Tell me what happened. I'm all ears." What does this idiom mean?
A. I cannot hear you. B. I have a great many ears. C. I am listening carefully. 7. "The lake was a mirror." What does this metaphor mean?
A. The water was so still it reflected everything. B. The lake was made of glass. C. Somebody put a mirror in the lake. 8. "My legs were jelly after the race." What does this metaphor mean?
A. My legs felt weak and wobbly. B. My legs were made of jelly. C. My legs felt strong. LessonPrint · L.4.5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Similes, Metaphors and Idioms Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.
1. She ran very fast. 2. The room was very cold. 3. The test was very easy. 4. He is feeling a little ill. 5. His bedroom was very messy. 6. I am listening carefully. 7. The water was so still it reflected everything. 8. My legs felt weak and wobbly. Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.4.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.