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The Secret Garden - Printable English Worksheets year 5 - Wayground

The Secret Garden

20 questions

5th - 5th Grade

English

The Secret Garden is a Grade 5 English worksheet that checks students’ understanding of key story elements through 20 questions: 17 multiple-choice items, two multiple-select items, and one fill-in-the-blank item. Students identify the story’s central problem, main and supporting characters, plot details about Mary’s discovery of the garden, and comparisons between the indoor and outdoor settings. They also interpret a metaphor and distinguish important details using true-or-false questions. The worksheet further develops context-based vocabulary by asking students to choose words such as awakening, mysterious, and tendrils in sentences connected to the story. The multiple-select format requires students to evaluate several statements about Mary, while the fill-in-the-blank item checks precise recall of a key detail. This free printable worksheet includes a complete answer key, making it useful for Grade 5 reading comprehension practice, independent work, review, or a standards-aligned English assessment.

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The Secret Garden

Total questions: 20

Name
Class
Date
1.

How does the introduction help the reader understand the story?

a)

It explains why the gardener is Mary’s best friend.

b)

It presents the problem that Mary is trying to solve.

c)

It establishes that Mary feels out of place in her new home.

d)

It compares Mary’s life in another country with her life now.

2.

Who is NOT a main character in the story?

a)

Mary's parents

b)

the gardener, Ben Weatherstaff

c)

Robin

d)

Mary Lennox

3.

Mary is just learning how to skip rope. How does she address this challenge?

a)

She finds that she can skip well naturally and doesn’t need to practice.

b)

She skips only when someone is there watching and encouraging her.

c)

She sets goals and tries to skip farther and farther each time.

d)

She stops skipping for the day when she becomes too overheated and tired.

4.

Choose ALL that apply to Mary.

a)

She is an orphan.

b)

She moved to live with her uncle.

c)

She is 8 years old.

d)

She finds a secret garden.

5.

One of the characters that helps Mary in the story is not human. What is this character?

a)

a bird

b)

a vine

c)

a statue

d)

a fountain

6.

The story says that the heavy cover of ivy over the garden door was a “swinging curtain.” This is an example of what figure of speech?

a)

personification

b)

alliteration

c)

metaphor

d)

simile

7.

The story takes place both inside and outside the secret garden. How do these two settings compare?

a)

The garden is mysterious. The outside is familiar.

b)

The garden is dangerous. The outside is safe

c)

The garden is bright. The outside is dreary.

d)

The garden is warm. The outside is cold.

8.

True or false: Ben Weatherstaff leads Mary to the key.

a)

True

b)

False

9.

True or False: Mary's uncle lives in a castle.

a)

True

b)

False

10.

How did Mary find the door to the secret garden?

a)

The robin blew open the door.

b)

Ben, the gardener, showed her the way.

c)

A wind suddenly blew the leaves and vines that were hiding the door.

d)

The robin sang a song that made the leaves and vines show the door.

11.

It's been (a)   years since someone has been in the secret garden.

12.

True or False: Mary has found a place all her own and wants the garden to grow.

a)

True

b)

False

13.

I was _______ when my mom started screaming.

a)

densely

b)

awakening

c)

tendrils

14.

That haunted house was the most _________ place I've been to.

a)

matted

b)

mysterious

c)

fastenings

15.

Mary saw long ______ of the climbing roses in the secret garden.

a)

fastenings

b)

matted

c)

tendrils

16.

Choose all of the sentences that use the word "matted" correctly.

a)

My iPad charger was matted with knots.

b)

My brother's hair was matted, so he could brush it easily.

c)

The girl's hair was matted with gum.

d)

My dog got a haircut, so now it's matted.

17.

Which is the best way to combine these sentences:

They got there early. They got really good seats.

a)

They got there early they got really good seats.

b)

They got there early, they got really good seats.

c)

They got there early, so they got really good seats.

18.

Fastenings...

a)

tear objects apart

b)

attach objects to other things

19.

Which is the best way to combine these sentences:

He ran out of money. He had to stop playing games at the arcade.

a)

He ran out of money so he had to stop playing games at the arcade.

b)

He ran out of money, so he had to stop playing games at the arcade.

c)

He ran out of money, he had to stop playing games at the arcade.

20.

What does the word awakening mean?

a)

to trip over something

b)

to go on vacation

c)

to wake up

d)

to forgive someone

Answer Key

The Secret Garden

Total questions: 20

1.
b)

It presents the problem that Mary is trying to solve.

2.
a)

Mary's parents

3.
c)

She sets goals and tries to skip farther and farther each time.

4.
b)

She moved to live with her uncle.

, a)

She is an orphan.

, d)

She finds a secret garden.

5.
a)

a bird

6.
c)

metaphor

7.
a)

The garden is mysterious. The outside is familiar.

8.
b)

False

9.
b)

False

10.
c)

A wind suddenly blew the leaves and vines that were hiding the door.

11.
10, ten
12.
a)

True

13.
b)

awakening

14.
b)

mysterious

15.
c)

tendrils

16.
a)

My iPad charger was matted with knots.

, c)

The girl's hair was matted with gum.

17.
c)

They got there early, so they got really good seats.

18.
b)

attach objects to other things

19.
b)

He ran out of money, so he had to stop playing games at the arcade.

20.
c)

to wake up

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FAQs

What does The Secret Garden worksheet cover?

This Grade 5 worksheet uses 20 reading questions—17 multiple choice, two multiple select, and one fill in the blank—to assess comprehension of The Secret Garden. Students analyze the introduction, characters, plot events, setting comparisons, a metaphor, true-or-false story details, and vocabulary in context.

How can I use this worksheet to teach The Secret Garden?

Use the questions after students read the relevant section of The Secret Garden, asking them to explain which story detail supports each answer. Pause before the setting and figurative-language items to have students compare the secret garden with its surroundings and discuss why “swinging curtain” is a metaphor, then use the multiple-select Mary item to reinforce checking every statement rather than choosing the first plausible one.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete The Secret Garden worksheet?

Students may select only one response on the multiple-select question, confuse a plot detail about how Mary discovers the door with the people who help her, or treat every comparison as a simile instead of identifying the metaphor. They may also overlook the distinction between the garden and the outside setting, or choose vocabulary words by appearance rather than using sentence context to determine words such as awakening, mysterious, and tendrils.

How do I assign and grade The Secret Garden worksheet?

The Secret Garden worksheet is available as a printable PDF and as a digital quiz on Wayground, and it includes a complete answer key for all 20 questions. You can grade printable submissions by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app, or review responses through the digital quiz.

How can I differentiate The Secret Garden worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing and font size to make the story-based questions and answer choices easier to track. You can also enable a dyslexia-friendly font or translate this English worksheet into another language when those options support access to the reading-comprehension and vocabulary tasks.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a comprehensive collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across all subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to help students master essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

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