Idioms & Proverbs · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Idioms & Proverbs

English · Vocabulary · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What does it mean when someone 'hits the nail on the head'?

    • To literally hammer a nail
    • To say or guess something exactly right
    • To make a mistake while building something

  2. Sam did not mean to tell anyone about the surprise party, but he let the cat out of the bag. What does the idiom mean here?

    • Someone opened a bag with a cat inside
    • A secret was revealed by accident
    • A cat escaped from a house

  3. The proverb 'actions speak louder than words' means what you do matters more than what you say.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Jake said, 'I have butterflies in my stomach before the game.' What does he mean?

    • He swallowed real butterflies
    • He feels nervous
    • He is hungry

  5. Zara's teacher said whoever turns in their science project first gets to pick their topic. Which saying explains why Zara should hurry?

    • The early bird catches the worm
    • Don't judge a book by its cover
    • Actions speak louder than words

  6. Ravi read: 'Mom told me not to cry over spilled milk after I lost the game, so I tried to move on and not be upset.' Based on the context, what does 'don't cry over spilled milk' most likely mean?

    • Don't be upset about something that already happened and can't be changed
    • Always clean up spills right away
    • Milk is easy to spill, so be careful

  7. Liam says: 'The proverb "a stitch in time saves nine" means you should always sew clothes quickly.' What is wrong with Liam's explanation?

    • The proverb is about swimming, not sewing
    • Nothing, that is exactly right
    • He took the proverb literally instead of understanding its figurative lesson about fixing small problems early

  8. Ana is reading a story and comes across the phrase 'bite the bullet' for the first time. What is the best way for her to find out what it means?

    • Guess based only on the words 'bite' and 'bullet' without reading around it
    • Look at how the phrase is used in the sentence, guess the meaning, then check a dictionary to confirm
    • Skip the phrase since idioms don't matter for understanding a story
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Idioms & Proverbs W1-mt_IoGOSAQ8bz-s1

  1. To say or guess something exactly right · This idiom describes getting something exactly correct, like a hammer striking a nail dead center.
  2. A secret was revealed by accident · In this story Sam did not mean to tell. Letting the cat out of the bag means his secret came out by accident. It is not about a real cat.
  3. True · That is the proverb's lesson: doing something proves your feelings more than just saying it.
  4. He feels nervous · 'Butterflies in your stomach' describes a nervous, fluttery feeling, not real insects.
  5. The early bird catches the worm · Acting first, like an early bird, gives Zara the best chance to pick her topic.
  6. Don't be upset about something that already happened and can't be changed · The sentences around the saying show Ravi is trying to move on from something already done, which matches its real meaning.
  7. He took the proverb literally instead of understanding its figurative lesson about fixing small problems early · The proverb's real lesson is that fixing a small problem now stops a bigger problem later. It is not really about sewing.
  8. Look at how the phrase is used in the sentence, guess the meaning, then check a dictionary to confirm · Using context clues first and then checking a reference source is the most reliable way to confirm a new saying's meaning.
Worksheet · LightMySky