6th grade similes and metaphors worksheets
Sixth graders treat similes and metaphors as author's choices: a simile keeps its distance (her voice was like music) while a metaphor commits (her voice is music). Recognizing which tool a writer picked, and why, feeds directly into literary analysis.
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.
the gym was a beehiveas strong as an oxthe moon was a silver coinas sly as a foxthe garden is a rainbowas tall as a giraffethe clouds are cotton ballsas free as a bird
Columns: Simile and Metaphor. "as strong as an ox" belongs under simile; "the gym was a beehive" 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
Compare the same idea in both forms: he ran like the wind against he was the wind. Ask which is bolder and when a writer might want each. Then send students hunting in their own reading; song lyrics and sports writing are reliably rich territory for both figures.
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
- Is one of the two stronger writing?
- Neither; they do different jobs. A simile keeps the comparison visible and gentle, while a metaphor commits fully and hits harder. Strong writers choose deliberately, and strong readers notice the choice. That noticing is exactly what this sort practices.
- What figurative language comes after similes and metaphors?
- Personification (the wind howled), hyperbole (I've told you a million times), and idioms (break the ice). Similes and metaphors are the foundation, because almost every other figure is a variation on comparing one thing to another.
Related worksheets
- 4th grade similes and metaphors A step easier, same skill
- 5th grade similes and metaphors A step easier, same skill
- 6th grade analogies Same grade, nearby skill
- 6th grade context clues Same grade, nearby skill
- 6th grade Greek and Latin roots Same grade, nearby skill
- Similes and metaphors, all grades The full progression
- All 6th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 6th 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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