5th grade similes and metaphors worksheets
Fifth graders sort quickly and start asking the better question: what do the two compared things share? A temper and a volcano share sudden eruptions; that shared ground is what the writer wants noticed.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.5.5.a.
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The kind of words you'll sort
Write each phrase from the bank under Simile or Metaphor.
as busy as a beeas light as a featheras flat as a pancakethe desert is an ovenhomework is a mountainlike two peas in a podthe lake was a mirrorthe fog was a gray blanket
Columns: Simile and Metaphor. "as light as a feather" belongs under simile; "the lake was a mirror" belongs under metaphor.
Every print pulls a fresh set of word lists at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Sorting. Write each phrase from the bank under Simile or Metaphor. 14 words per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
After sorting, pick two or three phrases and have your student translate them into plain language: "the test was a breeze" becomes "the test was easy." Then reverse it: hand them the plain sentence and ask them to build a fresh simile or metaphor for it. Production cements what recognition starts.
Watch for: Like or as is the tell for a simile, but the words must build a comparison; 'I like pizza' isn't one. A metaphor isn't a lie; nobody thinks the room is literally a zoo. It's a picture painted with a claim.
Common questions about similes and metaphors
- Why do writers bother with metaphors instead of plain language?
- Compression and force. "Her temper is a volcano" delivers heat, buildup, and sudden eruption in four words. Plain language would need a paragraph. Figurative language lets writers hand readers a whole picture at once, which is why poets live on it.
- How can I tell what a metaphor means?
- Ask what the two things share. A mind and a computer share speed and memory; a hallway and a river share crowded flow. The shared feature is the meaning; the rest of the image is decoration. That one question unlocks nearly every metaphor at this level.
Related worksheets
- 4th grade similes and metaphors A step easier, same skill
- 6th grade similes and metaphors A step harder, same skill
- 5th grade analogies Same grade, nearby skill
- 5th grade context clues Same grade, nearby skill
- 5th grade Greek and Latin roots Same grade, nearby skill
- Similes and metaphors, all grades The full progression
- All 5th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 5th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.5.5.a. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.
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