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Similes and Metaphors
Grade 4 - Reading - Building Confidence
Worksheet 1
1What does this figurative sentence from "The Maple Tree Journal" mean? "The buds were tiny green fists opening to the sun."
2In "Solar Oven Test," which interpretation of "The solar oven was a tiny greenhouse on the playground table." fits the passage?
3Which sentence from "Solar Oven Test" is a simile or metaphor?
4Why does the author use the comparison in "Jonah's first reason was a wobbly chair, so he built a steadier one."?
5Which answer gives the literal meaning, not the figurative meaning, of "Jonah's first reason was a wobbly chair, so he built a steadier one."?
6What does this figurative sentence from "River Cleanup Plan" mean? "After the cleanup, the riverbank looked like a room after a careful sweep."
7In "Debate Team Switch," which interpretation of "Jonah's first reason was a wobbly chair." fits the passage?
8Which sentence from "The Maple Tree Journal" is a simile or metaphor?
9Why does the author use the comparison in "The solar oven was a tiny greenhouse on the playground table."?
10Which answer gives the literal meaning, not the figurative meaning, of "After the cleanup, the riverbank looked like a room after a careful sweep."?
About this worksheet
Similes and metaphors compare two things to create a clearer or stronger image. Fourth graders can often spot like or as, but interpreting the comparison is the real reading work. A child may say that a metaphor is false because the object is not literally what the author names. This worksheet asks students to explain what the comparison suggests, decide which sentence uses figurative language, and separate literal details from figurative meaning. The answer choices stay close to the passage, so children must think about the shared quality between the two compared things. A parent should ask, What are these two things alike in this sentence? The answer should name the effect, feeling, shape, sound, or limit created by the comparison.
What your child will learn
Recognize similes and metaphors in context
Explain what a comparison means
Tell literal details from figurative language
Use context to support an interpretation
Worked example
If the budget is called a fence around choices, the metaphor means the budget limits what Nadia can choose.
Common mistake
Reading a metaphor literally instead of asking what quality is being compared.
Worksheet 1