Similes and Metaphors — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. What does the metaphor 'My homework is a mountain' suggest?
A) The homework is fun and easy
B) The homework is large and hard to climb through
C) The homework is made of rocks
D) The homework is small and quick
The metaphor compares homework to a mountain to show it feels huge and hard to finish.
2. Which simile best describes a very nervous student?
A) As calm as a lake
B) As brave as a lion
C) Shaking like a leaf
D) Sleeping like a log
'Shaking like a leaf' compares trembling to a leaf in the wind, matching nervousness.
3. In the line 'Time is a thief', what is the poet saying about time?
A) Time can be arrested
B) Time steals away moments and years
C) Time hides behind doors
D) Time wears a mask
The metaphor says time IS a thief, meaning it takes away moments before we notice.
4. Which sentence is a metaphor, not a simile?
A) The fog was like a thick blanket
B) Her room is a disaster zone
C) He sings like a bird
D) The pancakes were as fluffy as clouds
Only 'Her room is a disaster zone' uses a direct comparison without 'like' or 'as'.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. If a poem says 'Friendship is a warm blanket', the poet means friendship feels safe and comforting.
The metaphor shares the warm, comforting quality of a blanket with friendship.
2. 'She has a heart of stone' is a metaphor that suggests she is cold and unfeeling.
Calling a heart 'stone' shows the person seems hard and lacking in warm feelings.
3. In 'The clouds were marshmallows in the sky', the writer creates a picture, or image, of soft, puffy clouds.
Metaphors and similes build images that help readers see what is described.
4. A metaphor that fits a fast, eager learner is 'She is a sponge for knowledge.'
Calling a learner a sponge metaphorically shows she absorbs information quickly.
5. 'As brave as a knight' is a simile that compares a person's bravery to a knight.
The second compared item in a simile follows the second 'as', here 'knight'.