Simile and Metaphor Worksheets | Figurative Language Practice with Answer Key

Simile and Metaphor Worksheets for Figurative Language Practice

These simile and metaphor worksheets give students six different ways to practice telling the two apart and explaining what they mean. The set moves from simple identification to short answer writing, so students build from recognizing figurative language to using it on their own.

The worksheet is built for grades 5 to 8, and it works for a language arts unit on figurative language, a poetry lesson, or a review before a writing assignment.

What Students Actually Do

Section 1 asks students to read a sentence like “The stars were diamonds in the night sky” and choose whether it is a simile or a metaphor. Section 2 is true or false, testing whether students understand the definitions, not just the examples.

Section 3 and Section 4 use word banks. Students fill in the blank to complete similes such as “My hands were as cold as ________” and metaphors such as “The marketplace was a colorful ________ of fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Section 5 checks comprehension. Each question gives a sentence with a simile or metaphor, such as “The teacher watched the students like a hawk during the test,” and asks students to choose what it really means.

Section 6 is short answer. Students change a metaphor into a simile, explain the difference between the two, and write one original simile and one original metaphor about a rainstorm.

Teachers looking for a full set of simile and metaphor worksheets in one download will find every stage covered, from first identification to independent writing.

What Is in the Download

• ✏️ Student Worksheet, 19 pages, all six sections
• 📋 Answer Key, 24 pages, with a short explanation under every answer
• 📄 Student Answer Sheet, 4 pages, for bubbling or writing answers separate from the questions
• 🏫 Lesson Plan, 2 pages, with objectives, materials, and a timed procedure

The answer key does not just give the correct choice. It explains the reasoning, for example noting that a sentence uses “like” or “as” for a simile, or states one thing is another thing directly for a metaphor. That makes it useful for a quick review discussion and for grading.

How to Use These Simile and Metaphor Worksheets

The lesson plan lays out a full class period: an introduction comparing a plain sentence to a figurative one, guided practice on the whiteboard, independent work on the worksheet, and a share out where students read their own similes and metaphors aloud.

📁 Because the sections build in difficulty, teachers can also split the worksheet across two days, assign it as homework, or use single sections as warm ups or early finisher work. The word bank sections work well for a small group or center, and the short answer section is a good fit for an exit ticket.

📌 Homeschool families can use the lesson plan objectives as a simple guide and let a student work through the sections independently, checking work against the answer key afterward.

🔍 Please look at the preview pages before you buy so you can see the exact wording and layout of each section.

All files are delivered as PDF, ready to print in black and white or color.

These simile and metaphor worksheets also work well alongside a broader figurative language unit, since the vocabulary in the sentences, thief, lion, furnace, beehive, concrete jungle, gives students plenty of material to discuss before they move on to writing their own poems or descriptive paragraphs. Teachers who want a quick assessment can pull individual sections rather than assigning all six at once.

Because every answer in the key comes with a short explanation, students can also self check their work during independent practice, which frees up class time for the discussion questions in Section 6 rather than basic grading.

This resource pairs well with other language arts materials. Browse more ELA resources for additional reading and writing practice, or check the full range of worksheets for other skills. You can also explore everything in the shop to build out a full unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pages are in this simile and metaphor worksheets set?

The download has 49 pages total. The student worksheet is 19 pages, the answer key is 24 pages, the student answer sheet is 4 pages, and the lesson plan is 2 pages, all delivered as separate PDF files.

What grade levels are these simile and metaphor worksheets for?

The worksheet is labeled for grades 5 to 8. The sentences and vocabulary suit upper elementary and middle school students who are learning to identify and use figurative language.

Is an answer key included?

Yes. The 24 page answer key marks the correct choice for every question and includes a short explanation, so students or teachers can see why an answer is a simile or a metaphor, not just what it is.

What skills does this resource practice?

It practices identifying similes and metaphors, understanding what a figurative sentence actually means, completing similes and metaphors from a word bank, and writing original examples in short answer form.

Can this be used for homework or independent practice?

Yes. The lesson plan includes an independent practice section, and the separate student answer sheet lets a student work through the questions without writing on the worksheet pages, which also makes it reusable.