Idioms activity for Grade 5/6 - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to match each idiom with its correct meaning.

We’ll look at each idiom one by one and think about what it really means — not the literal words, but what people actually mean when they say it.

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1. Back to square one
→ This means you have to start over from the beginning. Like in a game if you lose your progress.
✔ Match: back to the beginning

2. Raining cats and dogs
→ You’ve probably heard this! It doesn’t mean animals are falling from the sky — it means it’s raining very hard.
✔ Match: a heavy downpour

3. Bite your tongue
→ This means you stop yourself from saying something — maybe because it’s rude or you don’t want to argue.
✔ Match: to avoid talking

4. Drag your feet
→ If someone is dragging their feet, they’re moving slowly on purpose — like when you don’t want to do something.
✔ Match: to move slowly

5. A slap on the wrist
→ This is a light punishment — like getting scolded instead of being grounded. Not serious.
✔ Match: a mild punishment

6. Add fuel to the fire
→ Imagine a fire — adding fuel makes it worse. So this means making a bad situation even worse.
✔ Match: making a bad situation worst

7. Burn the midnight oil
→ “Midnight oil” = staying up late working or studying. So this means studying long and hard, especially at night.
✔ Match: to study long and hard

8. A taste of your own medicine
→ If you treat someone badly, and then they treat you the same way — that’s giving you a taste of your own medicine.
✔ Match: to be treated as you treat others

9. An axe to grind
→ This means you have a personal reason to argue or complain about something — like you’re upset and want to fix it.
✔ Match: to have a dispute with someone

10. Chew someone out
→ This means yelling at someone or scolding them angrily.
✔ Match: verbally scold someone

11. Cock and bull story
→ This is a made-up story that’s hard to believe — like a tall tale.
✔ Match: an unbelievable tale

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Now let’s write the meanings for the idioms used in sentences:

1. Sarah and John set a date to tie the knot.
→ “Tie the knot” means to get married.
✔ Meaning: They decided to get married.

2. My baby sister is the apple of my eye.
→ “Apple of my eye” means someone you love very much — usually a favorite person.
✔ Meaning: She is very special and loved by me.

3. After the team lost the game, they were down in the dumps.
→ “Down in the dumps” means feeling sad or depressed.
✔ Meaning: They felt very sad after losing.

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Final Answer:

Matching Idioms to Meanings:
1. Back to square one → back to the beginning
2. Raining cats and dogs → a heavy downpour
3. Bite your tongue → to avoid talking
4. Drag your feet → to move slowly
5. A slap on the wrist → a mild punishment
6. Add fuel to the fire → making a bad situation worst
7. Burn the midnight oil → to study long and hard
8. A taste of your own medicine → to be treated as you treat others
9. An axe to grind → to have a dispute with someone
10. Chew someone out → verbally scold someone
11. Cock and bull story → an unbelievable tale

Meanings in Sentences:
1. They decided to get married.
2. She is very special and loved by me.
3. They felt very sad after losing.