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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 6 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."It costs an arm and a leg." What does this really mean?
  • A.It is very expensive.
  • B.The price is body parts.
3."Practice makes perfect." What does this really mean?
  • A.Doing something repeatedly makes you good at it.
  • B.Practising creates perfection.
4."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.
5."He was on cloud nine." What does this really mean?
  • A.He was extremely happy.
  • B.He was standing on a cloud.
6."It is raining cats and dogs." What does this really mean?
  • A.It is raining very hard.
  • B.Animals are falling from the sky.
7."Break a leg!" What does this really mean?
  • A.Good luck.
  • B.Injure your leg.
8."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.

LessonPrint · L.4.5 · Set 6 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Similes, Metaphors and Idioms

Set 6. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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.