Figurative language basics worksheets
Aligned with Common Core L.3.5a
Printable 3rd grade figurative language practice: a says-vs-means chart, literal or nonliteral sorting, picking the real meaning, matching, silly pictures and writing sentences with everyday phrases like hit the books and break the ice.
The worksheets
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Says vs. Means Chart
Literal and nonliteral explained with one example of each, plus eight everyday phrases with the silly picture and the real meaning side by side.
Real or Not Real?
Ten sentences. Each phrase shows up twice, once literal and once nonliteral, so kids see that the sentence decides. Includes an answer key.
What Does It Really Mean?
Six sentences with everyday phrases and three meanings to choose from. One choice is the silly literal meaning. Includes an answer key.
Match It
Eight phrases to match with their real meanings, a different mix each time you print. Includes an answer key.
Silly Picture, Real Meaning
Three phrases, each with a drawing box, an example sentence and handwriting lines for the real meaning. The answer key has example answers.
Use It in a Sentence
Four phrases with their meanings and handwriting lines to write a sentence for each.
Print the whole packet
One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).
For the parent or teacher
What it is
Some phrases mean exactly what the words say. That's literal language. "We broke the ice on the pond" is literal. Other phrases mean something different from the words. That's nonliteral, or figurative, language. "A joke helped break the ice" means it helped people start talking. In 3rd grade, kids learn to tell the two apart and figure out what common phrases really mean. Kids who take language very literally, or who are learning English, may find these phrases confusing at first.
What comes next
In 4th grade, kids learn the names for kinds of figurative language, like similes, metaphors and idioms.
How to teach it
- Start with the chart. Read each phrase, laugh at the silly picture it makes, then read what it really means.
- Use the same phrase both ways. "Mom cut me a piece of cake" is literal. "The test was a piece of cake" is not.
- Teach the question to ask. Could this really happen? If not, look at the rest of the sentence for clues to the meaning.
- Draw the silly picture. Drawing what the words say makes the difference between the words and the meaning easy to see.
- Listen for phrases in everyday talk, books and shows, and talk about what they mean.
Common mistakes
- Reading the phrase word by word. Raining cats and dogs is not about pets. Look at the whole sentence.
- Thinking every phrase is nonliteral. Sometimes the words mean exactly what they say, so check the sentence.
- Guessing from one word. In hot water could be a bath or being in trouble. The rest of the sentence decides.
- Using a phrase in the wrong place when writing. Read the sentence out loud to check that it makes sense.