wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Know the idiom! An English contest

Total questions: 69

Worksheet time: 40mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Which idiom goes the best with this sentence?
She memorized something.
a)
You're the apple of my eye.
b)
Knows it by heart
c)
She took me under her wing.
2.
My friend is a pain in the neck.
a)
My friend's neck hurts.
b)
My friend needs help.
c)
My friend went to the hospital.
d)
My friend can be hard to get along with sometimes.
3.
What is an idiom?
a)
A bird?
b)
A device used to confuse the reader.
c)
A word or phrase that does not mean what it says.
d)
A group of words that begin with the same sound.
4.
What does it mean to say: "It's raining cats and dogs!"?
a)
Cats and dogs are falling from the sky.
b)
It's raining very heavily.
c)
We are having a tornado.
d)
Animals have learned to fly.
5.
What is a couch potato?
a)
A person who likes to eat potatoes on the couch.
b)
A potato pillow.
c)
A person who likes to sit and watch tv on the couch.
d)
A person who likes to play hot potato.
6.

Sam's sister was always STEALING HER THUNDER on the dance floor.

a)

taking away the attention

b)

getting struck by lightning

c)

stealing her clothes

d)

working together

7.

Helen was feeling UNDER THE WEATHER.

a)

happy

b)

confused

c)

excited

d)

sick

8.

Those shoes COST AN ARM AND A LEG!

a)

they are expensive

b)

they are yellow

c)

they go on both feet

d)

they are cheap

9.

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth means...

a)

He was born to a rich family

b)

He was born hungry

c)

He was born with teeth

10.

A classroom of 20 four-year-old kids can quickly get out of hand. What is the meaning of "get out of hand"?

a)

Get out of control

b)

Understand something complicated

c)

Tease or joke with someone

d)

Agree on something

11.

Reorder the following

a)

go

b)

the

c)

extra

d)

mile

1)
2)
3)
4)
12.

A "Fair Weather Friend" is someone who...

a)

can be counted on

b)

pretends to be upset about things

c)

loves learning about the weather

d)

cannot be counted on

13.

What does it mean when someone says "Something Fishy?"

a)

someone smells something fishy

b)

you need to be patient or calm

c)

something seems dishonest or false

d)

someone is not feeling well

14.

To go bananas

a)

dziecinnie łatwy

b)

nabierać kogoś, nabijać w butelkę

c)

mieć ochotę na coś słodkiego

d)

wściec się

15.

krótko mówiąc / w kilku słowach

a)

in a nutshell

b)

it goes without saying

c)

hit the headlines

16.

icing on the cake

a)

Something extra good that you didn't expect.

b)

Always ice cakes; they dry out if you don't.

c)

Frozen cakes taste best.

d)

Cakes need something on the top.

17.

Hold your horses.

a)

Wait, be patient.

b)

Don't let the horses run away.

c)

Horses are very strong.

d)

I have a charley horse in my calf.

18.

The ball is in your court.

a)

It is up to you to handle the situation

b)

"Your turn", when playing tennis.

c)

You can now start the basketball game.

d)

If you get a traffic ticket, you must go to court to pay the fine.

19.

Walk in the park

a)

Something is very easy for you.

b)

Exercise and fresh air are good for you.

c)

You pass through a park on your walk home.

d)

That's where you'll find the picnic.

20.

Let the cat out of the bag means ____.

a)

release one's pet

b)

give away the secret

c)

refuse to speak

d)

be very angry

21.

Azman tends to do his revision at the eleventh hour. Surprisingly he still passes the test.

a)

for a short period of time

b)

at 11 o'clock at night

c)

at the last minute

22.

BREAK A LEG!

a)

Don't cheat!

b)

I hope you break your bones.

c)

Good luck!

d)

Watch where you are walking.

23.

Those shoes COST AN ARM AND A LEG!

a)

they are expensive

b)

they are yellow

c)

they go on both feet

d)

they are cheap

24.
Have a...tooth
a)
gold
b)
big
c)
lucky
d)
sweet
25.
Over my dead body
means...
a)
Absolutely not!
b)
I have a headache
c)
I need a blanket
d)
I'm orginizing a funeral
26.
In a nutshell
means ...
a)
stały bywalec
b)
w łupince orzecha
c)
nago
d)
krótko mówiąc
27.
Cut to the chase.  
a)
You cut something with a knife.
b)
Get to the point.  Tell me what you need!
c)
You were cut by something else. 
d)
You chased another person.
28.

What does it mean to give someone the "cold shoulder?"

a)

Help someone who's got fever

b)

Someone feels that they need a sweater

c)

to be nice to someone

d)

to ignore somebody, be intentionally unpleasant

29.

What does the idiom "to have a chip on one's shoulder" mean?

a)

To be in a bad mood

b)

To carry a bag of chips

c)

To be proud of oneself

d)

To be easily offended or angered

30.

I was going to try bungee jumping, but I got (a)   feet.

31.

After taking a test, Maria said it was a piece of cake. All of her studying had paid off. How did Maria feel about the test?

a)

It took a long time.

b)

It was easy.

c)

She was worried.

d)

It made her hungry.

32.

Michael was disappointed when his invention failed and he had to go back to square one. What did Michael have to do?

a)

work backwards

b)

give up

c)

ask for help

d)

start over from the beginning

33.

The detective thought they had solved the case. It turned out they were barking up the wrong tree. What can you tell about the detectives?

a)

They looked for clues behind a tree.

b)

They were wrong about the case.

c)

They used a police dog.

d)

They solved the case.

34.

I asked my dad if I could have a dirt bike. He said I could have one when pigs fly. When will I be able to get a dirt bike?

a)

never

b)

soon

35.

The skateboard my brother wants costs an arm and a leg. He wonders if someone will get it for his birthday. What can you tell about the skateboard?

a)

It is really fast.

b)

It is cheap.

c)

It is the best one.

d)

It is expensive.

36.

A solar eclipse happens once in a blue moon. We were lucky to be able to view it. How often does a solar eclipse happen?

a)

once a year

b)

never

c)

sometimes

d)

very rarely

37.

Sara's surprise party was ruined because her sister let the cat out of the bag. What did Sara's sister do?

a)

She let the cat loose.

b)

She invited a cat to the party.

c)

She told her about the party.

d)

She forgot about the party.

38.

_____ the kids while I go to the store, please?

a)

Turn an eye to

b)

Keep an eye on

c)

Close an eye to

39.

She's a _____ who surprised us all by winning the competition.

a)

front-runner

b)

sure thing

c)

 dark horse

40.

I have ....... in my stomach at the sight of my crush.

a)
Butterflies
b)

Bees

c)
Ladybugs
d)

Moths

41.

Doggy bag

a)

A bag of leftovers

b)

Bag for a dog

c)

Telling a secret

42.

I'm all ears

a)

A bunch of ears

b)

You have my full attention

c)

Full of noise

43.

"Apple of my eye" means?

a)

pupil is shaped like an apple

b)

someone that is very special

c)

eye color is red like an apple

d)

eye color is green like an apple

44.

Giving someone the "cold shoulder" means that...

a)

taking away their sweater

b)

throwing ice or snow on someone's shoulder

c)

to go out in the snow without proper snow gear

d)

to ignore or be unfriendly

45.

When some says "I feel like a fish out of water" what do they mean?

a)

not knowing how to swim

b)

having a hard time breathing

c)

uncomfortable situation that you are not used to

d)

feeling trap

46.

When we are all "in the same boat" it means that....

a)

when you are going fishing with a friend

b)

singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

c)

being in a kayak together

d)

share the same unfortunate situation as another person

47.

"Time flies" means __________________.

a)

when a fly lands on a clock

b)

when time going very moving slowly

c)

your watch flies off your wrist

d)

time goes by very quickly

48.

It's time to hit the books we have an important test coming up.

What does hit the books really mean?

a)

I am going to study

b)

I am going to take a short break from studying

c)

I am going to punch and kick my books

49.

Not being able to take it any more

a)

To give a false alarm.

b)

Drop me a line

c)

I'm at the end of my rope.

d)

To tell someone to go away and stop bothering you.

50.

A small automobile accident.

a)

fender bender

b)

to pull someone's leg

c)

all ears

d)

to get a kick out of something

51.

Bury the hatchet

a)

Being ready to listen.

b)

To settle an argument, stop fighting.

c)

To have control of someone or of a group of people.

d)

To tell someone to go away and stop bothering you.

52.

Ace up your sleeve

a)

You are giving your attention

or focus to the wrong thing.

b)

Having a special advantage that is not used until the very last moment.

c)

A small automobile accident.

d)

Don't cause problems by do something when it isn't necessary.

53.

Someone who is a friend only when things are good.

a)

Know something backward and forward

b)

Fair-weather friend

c)

Leave well enough alone

d)

to get a kick out of something

54.

The police officer let him off the hook.

a)

took him to jail

b)

didn't give him a ticket

c)

helped him get down

d)

gave him a ticket

55.

I decided to throw caution to the wind. What does throw caution to the wind mean?

a)

to stop being so careful

b)

to be more careful

c)

to not go outside when it is windy

d)

to do something immediately

56.

They were trying to cut corners to keep within their budget. What does cut corners mean?

a)

to make something smaller

b)

to steal money

c)

to do something in the least expensive way

d)

to do something that was more difficult

57.

She is always on the ball. What does on the ball mean?

a)

She is a great ball player.

b)

Aware of new new ideas and trends

c)

Always late

d)

Prone to having accidents

58.

To "miss the boat" means to...

a)

to miss someone

b)

to be really excited about something

c)

miss out on an opportunity

d)

to challenge yourself

59.

To "spill the beans" means to...

a)

to avoid someone

b)

to cry a lot

c)

to keep a secret

d)

to tell a secret

60.

What is a "bed of roses?"

a)

A bed filled with flowers

b)

A hard situation

c)

An easy situation

d)

An easy test

61.

What does it mean to "beat around the bush?"

a)

To get upset over something

b)

To confront someone who has a problem

c)

To go for a walk in a park

d)

To avoid talking about something

62.
Which idiom goes the best with this sentence?
That's a low price.
a)
That's dirt cheap.
b)
Don't let the bed bugs bite.
c)
Shake a leg.
63.

"to smell a rat"

a)

stinky

b)

old food

c)

to be suspicious, not believe

d)

to trust

64.

When you "wrap your head around something" it means...

a)

You misunderstand something.

b)

You understand something complicated.

c)

You try to understand something.

d)

You cannot understand something.

65.

Because the youngest children in many families have to be satisfied with hand-me-downs, they feel that they are getting the short end of the stick.


The underlined expression lets the reader know that the youngest child in a familty feels that he or she is -

a)

receiving fewer benefits than their siblings

b)

not loved or appreciated

c)

punished more harshly than his or her siblings

66.

Erick believes that his good grades prove that he is also a good person. But that's just comparing apples to oranges.


The underlined expression lets the reader know that -

a)

Good grades and good character are two totally different things.

b)

Erick works hard, but never compares himself to others.

c)

It takes a lot of hard work to improve your character.

67.

Even though Sara is popular and can buy anything she wants, you would never want to be in her shoes.


The underlined expression lets the reader know that -

a)

Sara has money, but poor taste in clothes.

b)

You would think Sara's life is great, but you really wouldn't want to experience it.

c)

Sara acts like she's nice, but really thinks she's better than anyone.

68.

It was Brad who damaged his moms vacuum cleaner when she was away. Now he's trying to sweep it under the rug.


The underlined expression means that Brad is -

a)

trying to hide his guilt

b)

using a broom to hide the broken parts

c)

trying to get up the nerve to tell his mom

69.

Mr. Jones told the students that they had all cheated and would receive zeroes on their projects. Some students were afraid; others knew his bark was worse than his bite.


The underlined expression means that Mr. Jones -

a)

rarely got mad at his students

b)

always maintained order in his classroom

c)

rarely followed through with his treats