Similes and Metaphors
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Skill: Telling similes and metaphors apart in sentences
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About this worksheet
Similes and metaphors are two kinds of figurative language that compare things in a fresh way. A simile uses the word like or as, such as "the lake was as smooth as glass." A metaphor says one thing is another thing, such as "the classroom was a zoo." The comparison helps readers picture something quickly. This fifth-grade worksheet gives fourteen sentences. Students read each one and write simile or metaphor.
The sentences describe familiar scenes, such as a hungry kid after practice, a garden in July, and a highway during a storm. Each sentence has exactly one comparison, so students can focus on how the comparison is made.
How to use it: underline the two things being compared in each sentence, then look for like or as. If one of those words joins the comparison, the sentence is a simile; if the sentence simply says one thing is the other, it is a metaphor. Talk about what each comparison really means. A night owl is a person who likes to stay up late, and a parking lot highway means the cars were barely moving. As a writing extension, ask students to turn three similes into metaphors.
The answer key labels every sentence. This worksheet supports Common Core standard L.5.5.a (interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context). It pairs well with our Parts of Speech worksheet.