After their argument, Lena and Priya didn't speak for a whole week. On Friday, Priya left a friendship bracelet on Lena's desk. It had the same pattern the two of them had made together at camp.
Grade 6 Figurative Language worksheet
from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
How to explain it
- Similes and metaphors compare. Personification makes things act human. Idioms mean more than their words.
- Imagery appeals to a sense: sight, sound, smell, taste or touch.
- A symbol is something that stands for a bigger idea, like a dove for peace.
Example: “The rough bark scraped her palms.” Which sense does this imagery mostly appeal to? Rough and scraped describe how something feels. Feeling with your skin is touch. Answer: Touch
Question 1
What does “on thin ice” mean in this sentence?
After forgetting his chores again, Leo was on thin ice.
- standing perfectly still
- feeling very cold
- in a risky situation where he might get in trouble
- skating on a frozen pond
in a risky situation where he might get in trouble
Hint: Thin ice could crack at any moment. What might happen if Leo forgets his chores once more?
Question 2
Which sense does this imagery mostly appeal to?
After the rain, the air smelled of wet earth and pine needles.
- Touch
- Sight
- Smell
- Taste
Smell
Hint: Find the key words (“smelled of wet earth”). Which sense would notice that?
Question 3
What kind of figurative language is used here?
The rain went drip, drip, drip on the metal roof.
- Onomatopoeia
- Metaphor
- Hyperbole
- Personification
Onomatopoeia
Hint: Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound, like sizzle, crash or buzz.
Question 4
What does the idiom in this sentence mean?
With the test on Friday, it was time to hit the books.
- to study hard
- to throw old books away
- to write a new book
- to knock books off a shelf
to study hard
Hint: Idioms don't mean what their words say. What do people do before a test?
Question 5
What does the bracelet most likely symbolize?
- the rules of summer camp
- Priya's love of crafts
- their friendship and Priya's wish to make up
- Lena's favourite colour
their friendship and Priya's wish to make up
Hint: A symbol is an object that stands for a bigger idea. Why would Priya give this bracelet right after an argument?
Question 6
What does this metaphor mean?
After the long hike, Amir's legs were wet noodles.
- His legs were soaked from the rain.
- His legs felt weak and wobbly.
- He ate noodles after the hike.
His legs felt weak and wobbly.
Hint: Think about how a cooked noodle behaves. How would legs like that feel after a hike?
Question 7
What does this metaphor suggest about Jay?
Jay is a walking dictionary.
- Jay carries a heavy book.
- Jay likes to read while walking.
- Jay knows a lot of words.
Jay knows a lot of words.
Hint: What is a dictionary full of?
Question 8
What does the seedling most likely symbolize?
All year, Ravi struggled with reading. One spring morning, he noticed a tiny green seedling pushing up through a crack in the school sidewalk. He checked on it every day.
- hope and the ability to grow in a tough place
- the school's need for a new sidewalk
- Ravi's plan to become a gardener
- the start of the summer holidays
hope and the ability to grow in a tough place
Hint: Ravi is struggling, and so is the seedling, growing through concrete. What might it mean to him?
Question 9
What do the pencil marks most likely symbolize?
Every September, Noah's family marks his height on the kitchen door frame. This year, Noah noticed the pencil marks climbing higher and higher, the oldest ones faded almost to nothing.
- Noah's worry about being too short
- a rule about where to draw
- the family's need to repaint the kitchen
- how much Noah has grown and changed over time
how much Noah has grown and changed over time
Hint: Old marks fade and new marks climb higher each year. What bigger idea does that show?
Answer key
- 1. in a risky situation where he might get in trouble
- 2. Smell
- 3. Onomatopoeia
- 4. to study hard
- 5. their friendship and Priya's wish to make up
- 6. His legs felt weak and wobbly.
- 7. Jay knows a lot of words.
- 8. hope and the ability to grow in a tough place
- 9. how much Noah has grown and changed over time
Want more than 9 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback.