Idioms and old sayings

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Ari reads: "The math quiz was a piece of cake." What does a piece of cake mean?

   • very easy
   • over quickly
   • very hard
   • a sweet treat
2. 2.

   Bo reads: "Kira felt under the weather and stayed home." What does under the weather mean?

   • full of energy
   • out in the rain
   • a little sick
   • in a bad mood
3. 3.

   What does the adage "Practice makes perfect" mean, Jun?

   • practice is for people who are already perfect
   • one try is enough to do it well
   • working with others makes a job easier
   • doing something often makes you better at it
4. 4.

   What does the adage "Look before you leap" mean, Luz?

   • check the ground before a jump
   • practice a thing until it is perfect
   • think before you act
   • act fast before the chance is gone
5. 5.

   What does the adage "Many hands make light work" mean, Milo?

   • a job goes faster when one person does it
   • hands feel lighter after work
   • a job is easier when many people help
   • think before you start a job
6. 6.

   Is "break the ice" an idiom or an adage, Noah?

   • An adage: an old saying with advice
   • An idiom: a phrase with a special meaning
   • Neither: it means to crack ice
   • An adage: a saying about winter
7. 7.

   Is "Better late than never" an idiom or an adage, Pia?

   • Neither: it is about being on time
   • An idiom: a phrase with a special meaning
   • An adage: an old saying with advice
   • An idiom: a phrase about clocks
8. 8.

   Is "spill the beans" an idiom or an adage, Ren?

   • An idiom: a phrase with a special meaning
   • Neither: it means to drop food
   • An adage: a saying about cooking
   • An adage: an old saying with advice
9. 9.

   On the fence. Intended meaning: ? Tala reads: "Ren was on the fence about joining the club." What is the intended meaning?

   • Ren could not decide
   • Ren was worried about trouble
   • Ren sat on a fence
   • Ren had decided to join
10. 10.

    Called it a day. Intended meaning: ? Zee reads: "Our talk was going nowhere, so we called it a day." What is the intended meaning?

    • we started over
    • we named the day
    • we kept going through the night
    • we stopped for now