Worksheets › Figurative Language (Grades 3-5)

Free Printable Figurative Language Worksheets (Grades 3-5)

A child who reads “the classroom was a zoo” and pictures animals has decoded every word correctly and understood nothing. These sheets start with noticing that a sentence is not literal at all, then name the five devices by what they do.

🔄 Generate a new sheet

Figurative Language - Grades 3-5

Noticing when words are not literal

Is this sentence meant literally - exactly as the words say - or figuratively?

Time is a thief.

Three of these are figurative. Which one means exactly what it says?

Is this sentence meant literally - exactly as the words say - or figuratively?

The wind whispered through the trees.

Working out what it really means

What is the writer actually saying here?

The leaves danced across the sidewalk.

What is the writer actually saying here?

The leaves danced across the sidewalk.

What is the writer actually saying here?

The old car groaned up the hill.

Similes

What does as brave as a lion mean?

What does as stubborn as a mule mean?

What does ran like the wind mean?

Metaphors

10.

What is this sentence really saying?

My brother is a walking dictionary.

11.

What is this sentence really saying?

The classroom was a zoo.

12.

What is this sentence really saying?

He is a night owl.

Idioms

13.

What does the ball is in your court mean?

14.

What does keep your chin up mean?

15.

What does beat around the bush mean?

16.

What does piece of cake mean?

Naming the device

17.

Which kind of figurative language is this?

“The thunder grumbled all afternoon.”

18.

Which kind of figurative language is this?

“Her voice is music to my ears.”

19.

Which kind of figurative language is this?

“keep your chin up”

Answer Key

1.Figuratively - the words are not meant exactly as written

2.The classroom has twenty-six desks.

3.Figuratively - the words are not meant exactly as written

4.The leaves moved lightly in the wind.

5.The leaves moved lightly in the wind.

6.The car made a low straining noise.

7.very brave

8.refusing to change his mind

9.ran extremely fast

10.My brother knows a great many words.

11.The classroom was noisy and wild.

12.He stays up late.

13.it is your turn to decide or act

14.to stay hopeful in a hard time

15.to avoid saying what you mean

16.something very easy

17.Personification - something not human is given a human action

18.A metaphor - it says one thing <i>is</i> another

19.An idiom - a set phrase whose meaning you cannot work out from its words

Want practice that adapts to your child?

These printables come straight from Lit Ladder - an adaptive K-12 reading program that gives your child a quick placement check, finds exactly where they are (not just their grade), and moves them up one skill at a time - from hearing the sounds in a spoken word to weighing evidence in a nonfiction text.

It's free during our beta, with no ads and no third-party trackers - kid logins are username-only and parent-managed.

Start free - find your child's level See how it compares

Frequently asked questions

Are these figurative language worksheets free?
Yes - view, print, and share every sheet for free, with no account and no signup.

Do they include an answer key?
Every worksheet has a full answer key at the bottom of the page.

What grades are these figurative language worksheets for?
They are designed for grades 3 to 5.

Does my child need to read the questions alone?
No. Print it and read the instructions aloud if that is what the sheet needs - at these ages the point is the skill, not whether they can decode the directions.

Can I get a different worksheet?
Yes - click “Generate a new sheet” and a fresh set of problems (with a matching answer key) is created instantly.