Similes and Metaphors — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which simile best describes a sunset full of bright colors?
A) As gray as concrete
B) Like a bowl of fruit punch in the sky
C) As empty as a desert
D) Like a pile of rocks
Fruit punch is bright and mixed, matching a colorful sunset, while the other choices are dull.
2. Which is the strongest metaphor for a busy school hallway?
A) The hallway was a hallway
B) The hallway is a river of students
C) The hallway has many people
D) The hallway is long
Saying the hallway IS a river creates a vivid picture of students flowing in one direction.
3. Which sentence creates the clearest figurative image?
A) The boy was tall.
B) The boy felt sad.
C) The boy was a giraffe peeking over the bookshelf.
D) The boy walked home.
The metaphor compares the boy to a giraffe, helping readers picture his height clearly.
4. Which simile best fits a snowy, silent winter morning?
A) As loud as fireworks
B) Like a marching band
C) As quiet as a whisper
D) Like a busy market
'As quiet as a whisper' matches a silent morning, while the others describe noise.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Finish the simile: 'The autumn leaves twirled like tiny dancers.'
Twirling leaves match graceful spinning dancers, making a vivid simile.
2. Finish the metaphor: 'My memory is a scrapbook that keeps every birthday card.'
A scrapbook holds many memories, so the metaphor compares a memory directly to a scrapbook.
3. Pick a strong simile word: 'The siren was as loud as a roaring jet.'
The second 'as' completes the simile pattern needed for clear comparison.
4. Finish the metaphor: 'Anger is a fire that burns inside.'
Comparing anger to fire shows that it grows, burns, and can spread quickly.
5. Finish the simile: 'The little kitten was as soft as a cloud.'
The simile needs both 'as' words to compare the kitten's softness to a cloud.