Figurative Language — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which sentence contains a simile?
A) The dog is a clown.
B) The wind howled all night.
C) Her laugh was like a bell ringing.
D) The sun hid behind the clouds.
This sentence is a simile because it uses the word 'like' to compare her laugh to a bell ringing.
2. What type of figurative language is used in "The ocean swallowed the small boat"?
A) simile
B) metaphor
C) personification
D) literal language
Swallowing is a human action given to the ocean, making this personification.
3. In the sentence "My brother is a walking encyclopedia," what does the metaphor mean?
A) He carries books everywhere.
B) He knows a lot of facts.
C) He walks very slowly.
D) He reads the encyclopedia daily.
This metaphor compares the brother to an encyclopedia, meaning he knows a lot of information and facts.
4. Which pair of sentences are both examples of personification?
A) The car is as red as a fire truck. She sings like an angel.
B) The flowers danced in the garden. The thunder grumbled overhead.
C) He is a shining star. She is a night owl.
D) Time flies. The boy ran like a rocket.
Both sentences give human actions to non-human things: flowers dancing and thunder grumbling.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. "The cafeteria was as loud as a concert" is a simile comparing noise levels.
This simile uses 'as' to compare the loud cafeteria to the noise level of a concert.
2. "The door said goodbye as it slammed shut" is personification.
Saying goodbye is a human action given to the door, making this personification.
3. "Her ideas were nuggets of gold" is a metaphor meaning her ideas were valuable.
This metaphor compares her ideas to nuggets of gold, meaning they were very valuable and precious.
4. Figurative language has a different meaning from the literal meaning of the words.
Figurative language goes beyond the literal (exact) meaning of words to create vivid images or comparisons.
5. "The moon watched over the sleeping town" is personification.
Watching is a human action given to the moon, making this personification.