Literal and Figurative Meaning Practice Printable Worksheet provides five focused questions and a separate answer sheet for home or classroom practice. The literal figurative language worksheet begins with a short rule reminder, then asks learners to apply that idea and explain a choice. Both pages are free to download as original printable images.
What is included
- A student page with the rule, five questions and space to write.
- A separate key with answers, explanations and sample responses.
- Text versions of every question and answer below for reference.
Understand the skill
Literal language uses a direct meaning. Figurative language uses an imaginative comparison or expression whose intended meaning is not simply the physical statement.
Use the page for literal meaning versus figurative practice after introducing the idea aloud. Learners should be able to read the short sentences or work with a reader who can read them aloud. This is focused practice, not a complete course or a standardized assessment.
Teach the first example
Read this prompt together: Classify: The backpack weighs two kilograms. The key gives this response: literal. Ask the learner to connect that response to the rule before moving on. Cover the answer page during the remaining questions so it supports checking rather than copying.
Try the five questions
- Classify: The backpack weighs two kilograms.
- Classify: My backpack weighs a ton, said the tired student.
- Explain figuratively: The news was music to my ears.
- Explain literally: Music reached my ears from the hall.
- Compare: She broke the ice on the pond / She broke the ice at the meeting.
A mistake worth discussing
Consider the context before deciding; an expression may be literal in one situation and figurative in another.
If a response seems uncertain, return to the exact words in the prompt. Ask what evidence supports the answer. For a correction, read the original and revised sentence aloud and describe what changed. A learner who can explain a choice has shown more than recognition of a familiar pattern.
Answer key and explanations
- literal.
- figurative exaggeration.
- The news was welcome or pleasing.
- Actual music could be heard.
- The first describes physical ice; the second means easing social tension.
Where a prompt asks for an original sentence or explanation, the key gives a sample rather than the only possible wording. Accept other responses that meet the instruction and demonstrate the same idea. Spelling and punctuation can be discussed separately when they are not the main skill being practiced.
Download and print
Use Download image below either preview to save its original 2550 × 3300 PNG. For a PDF, select US Letter or A4 and choose Download PDF; the site creates that page in your browser. Print the student sheet and key separately, use uniform scaling and check the page edges in print preview. The pages are flat resources for handwriting, not fillable or editable documents. Personal and classroom use is welcome; share the article link rather than redistributing the files.