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. Naming the type is step one; explaining the comparison is the skill.
Free printable PDF, aligned to Common Core L.5.5.a. One skill per page, answer key on page two.
Every sheet is one of a kind and prints with a version code, so you can reprint the exact same one later. New version every click.
The kind of words you'll sort
Write each phrase from the bank under Simile or Metaphor.
the sun is a golden ballas sweet as honeyas sly as a foxthe fog was a gray blanketas smooth as silkas strong as an oxthe desert is an oventhe night sky is velvet
Columns: Simile and Metaphor. "as smooth as silk" belongs under simile; "the desert is an oven" belongs under metaphor.
Every print draws a fresh mix of word lists at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different 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
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Aligned to Common Core L.5.5.a. Reviewed by the One More Sheet curriculum team. Content version 68, updated July 2026.