Similes and metaphors worksheets
Similes and metaphors both compare two unlike things: a simile signals it with like or as (slept like a log), while a metaphor states it outright (homework is a mountain). Fourth graders sort figurative phrases by which tool they use.
By grade
What students need to know
A simile compares with like or as: brave as a lion. A metaphor says one thing IS another: the classroom was a zoo.
This skill runs from 4th grade through 6th grade. Pick a grade above for level-matched sentences, teaching notes, and worksheets.
Similes and metaphors across the grades
4th grade
Similes and metaphors both compare two unlike things: a simile signals it with like or as (slept like a log), while a metaphor states it outright (homework is a mountain). Fourth graders sort figurative phrases by which tool they use.
5th grade
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.
6th grade
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.
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