These metaphor worksheets for 4th grade help students practice the skill of "explaining the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context, as per the CCSS. Use them to practice metaphors with your students, for homeschooling, or for online tutoring as part of your digital classroom activities. Scroll down for metaphor flashcards, metaphor activities, and metaphor writing prompts designed for 4th graders to demonstrate their understanding. Expect more than a worksheet with these metaphor examples for your 4th-grade classroom!
What's a metaphor?
Before you head into the metaphor figurative language worksheets, recap what a metaphor is with metaphor examples. If you want find out more about metaphors before you complete the worksheets, head to our metaphor page.
What's a metaphor?
What are 10 examples of Metaphors?
4th Grade Metaphor Worksheets
Help your students to practice demonstrating their understanding of metaphors and explaining the meaning of simple metaphors with these paperless worksheets. We've got flashcards, finding the metaphors with quizzes, and metaphor writing prompts, so your students can have a go at writing their own examples of metaphors.
Metaphor Paperless Flashcards
Work on comparing two things with these metaphor examples. Before you flip the flashcards, see if you can make your own metaphors using the words on the front.
Creative Writing Metaphor Worksheet
Now it's your turn! Can you come up with your own metaphor examples to describe the words below?
| friends | family |
| lemonade | pizza |
| sailboat | bicycle |
| adventure | squirrel |
| radio | dogs |
| angel | school |
Identifying Metaphors in 4th Grade - Vocabulary Worksheet
In this metaphor multiple-choice quiz, 4th graders will work on identifying metaphors using grade-specific vocabulary. Got a question wrong? Press reset and try again.
1. Which of the following phrases is a metaphor?
Choose the best answer from the choices below
2. Which of the following phrases is a metaphor?
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3. Which of the following phrases is a metaphor?
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4. Which of the following phrases is a metaphor?
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Understanding Metaphors Context Clues with Quiz
Read these three passages; as you're reading, think about the metaphors you can see and what they might mean. After each short passage, there's a context clues metaphor quiz.
Identifying and Understanding Metaphors Quiz
Once you've read through the stories, try this quiz. Students will answer questions based on the metaphor worksheet above. They work on identifying and explaining simple metaphors per the CCSS ELA in 4th grade. Got a question wrong? Press reset and try again.
1. What two things does the metaphor compare?
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2. What do you think "mouth was sandpaper" means?
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3. From context clues in the text, how does Lucy feel?
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1. What two things does the metaphor compare?
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2. What do you think "soft baby blanket" means?
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3. From context clues in the text, what does the metaphor tell us about how Jay feels?
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1. Where are the metaphors in the short story?
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2. What could "sand is soft butter" mean?
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3. What does "he is a strong dolphin" tell us about how he's swimming?
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Metaphors in Songs Worksheet
Metaphors are powerful figurative language tools. Teachers can use this worksheet in the ELA classroom to help students understand, identify, and discuss metaphors in popular songs. As you're listening to each song, think about the following questions.
- What things are being compared?
- What metaphors are being used?
- What do you think these metaphors mean?
Metaphors in Song Lyrics
'Cause baby, you're a firework.
Come on, show 'em what you're worth,
Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh."
As you shoot across the sky.
Baby, you're a firework,
Come on, let your colors burst,
Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh."
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe.
It might seem crazy what I am 'bout to say,
Sunshine, she's here, you can take a break,
I'm a hot air balloon that could go to space.
With the air, like I don't care, baby by the way.
Find light in the beautiful sea.
I choose to be happy.
You and I, you and I, we're like diamonds in the sky.
You're a shooting star I see, a vision of ecstasy.
When you hold me, I'm alive, we're like diamonds in the sky.
Discussion Questions About Metaphors in Songs
Once you've listened to each song, use these discussion questions in small groups or at home as part of your homeschooling metaphor activities.
- What things are being compared?
- What metaphors are being used?
- What do you think these metaphors mean?
- Why do artists use metaphors?
- What emotions or feelings come up when you listen to metaphors?
- Where else can you use metaphors?
Metaphor Writing Prompts Worksheet
Your turn! Use these writing prompts to encourage your students to write their own metaphor examples.
Can you write your own metaphor example for each prompt?
Metaphor Writing Prompt One
Metaphor Writing Prompt Two
Metaphor Writing Prompt Three
Metaphor Writing Prompt Four
Metaphor Writing Prompt Five
Want more resources for the ELA classroom?
Check out our related worksheets and quizzes for elementary students in 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade. We've got reading comprehension worksheets, onomatopoeia worksheets, and much more!