Fifth graders sort six core literary devices in this set: imagery, symbolism, simile, personification, onomatopoeia, and metaphor. Fill-in-the-blank items walk through clear examples — a river smooth as glass, the night that swallowed a village, a tick-tock grandfather clock — and ask you to name the device or fill in the missing concept.
A matching section then mixes things up, pairing four passages (a glistening red apple, a broken chain, alliterative wicked wolves, an exaggerated forever wait) with the right device. The variety builds the flexible recognition you need to spot devices anywhere they show up in real reading.
Style:
Literary Devices
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "The rough bark scratched her fingertips as she climbed" uses imagery that appeals to the sense of touch.
2. A dove is a common symbol for peace in many cultures.
3. "The river was as smooth as glass" is a simile because it uses the word as to compare.
4. "The spicy chili burned a trail down his throat" contains imagery that appeals to the sense of taste.
5. When an author writes "The night swallowed the village," the night is given a human action, which is called personification.
6. In a story, a character who always wears dark clothing may symbolize evil or mystery.
7. "Tick-tock, tick-tock went the grandfather clock" uses onomatopoeia to imitate the sound a clock makes.
8. Imagery helps the reader picture a scene by describing what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted.
9. "Life is a journey" is a metaphor that compares living to traveling without using like or as.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
"The bright red, juicy apple glistened in the sunlight"
→ imagery
alliteration
A broken chain in a story about freedom
→ symbolism
hyperbole
"Wicked wolves wandered the winding woods"
→ alliteration
imagery
"I have been waiting forever for my turn"
→ hyperbole
symbolism
Literary Devices
★ Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1) "The rough bark scratched her fingertips as she climbed" uses imagery that appeals to the sense of touch.
2) A dove is a common symbol for peace in many cultures.
3) "The river was as smooth as glass" is a simile because it uses the word as to compare.
4) "The spicy chili burned a trail down his throat" contains imagery that appeals to the sense of taste.
5) When an author writes "The night swallowed the village," the night is given a human action, which is called personification.
6) In a story, a character who always wears dark clothing may symbolize evil or mystery.
7) "Tick-tock, tick-tock went the grandfather clock" uses onomatopoeia to imitate the sound a clock makes.
8) Imagery helps the reader picture a scene by describing what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted.
9) "Life is a journey" is a metaphor that compares living to traveling without using like or as.
★ Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1) Match each item to its correct answer.
"The bright red, juicy apple glistened in the sunlight"
→ imagery
alliteration
A broken chain in a story about freedom
→ symbolism
hyperbole
"Wicked wolves wandered the winding woods"
→ alliteration
imagery
"I have been waiting forever for my turn"
→ hyperbole
symbolism
Ready to Practice?
Complete each section carefully.
10 Questions
10-15 minutes
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