Similes, metaphors and personifications worksheet - Free Printable
Educational worksheet: Similes, metaphors and personifications worksheet. Download and print for classroom or home learning activities.
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Step-by-step solution for: Similes, metaphors and personifications worksheet
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Similes, metaphors and personifications worksheet
Here's the classification of each sentence as simile, metaphor, or personification, along with a clear explanation for each.
---
- Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as” to show similarity between two different things.
- Metaphor: A direct comparison stating one thing *is* another (no “like” or “as”).
- Personification: Giving human qualities, actions, or emotions to non-human things (animals, objects, nature, etc.).
---
## ✔ Answers & Explanations:
---
1. The children crept, quietly as mice.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “as” to compare how quietly the children moved to how quietly mice move.
---
2. The car sputtered and coughed before starting.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* Cars don’t literally “cough” — this gives the car a human-like action to describe its mechanical struggle.
---
3. The wind howled as if it were an angry wolf.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “as if” to compare the wind’s sound to that of an angry wolf. “As if” functions like “like” in similes.
---
4. The engine roared like a lion.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “like” to compare the engine’s sound to a lion’s roar.
---
5. The trees were a prison, trapping the boy.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Says the trees *were* a prison — directly comparing them without “like” or “as”. It implies they confined him.
---
6. The sunflowers nodded in the wind.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* Sunflowers don’t have heads that “nod” intentionally — this gives them a human gesture.
---
7. Luke ran like the wind until he reached the finish line.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “like” to compare Luke’s speed to the wind’s speed.
---
8. Martha is the apple of her mum’s eye.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* This is an idiom meaning she is deeply loved — it directly says she *is* the apple, not “like” the apple.
---
9. The King was a furious lion.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Directly compares the king to a lion — no “like” or “as” used.
---
10. The sun hid silently behind a grey cloud.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* The sun doesn’t “hide” — that’s a human action. It’s given intentional behavior.
---
11. Pam was as cool as a cucumber.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “as...as” to compare Pam’s calmness to the coolness of a cucumber.
---
12. Robert’s eyes are the ocean, so clear and so blue.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Says his eyes *are* the ocean — direct comparison, no “like” or “as”.
---
13. The sun smiled down on the children as they played on the sand.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* The sun doesn’t smile — it’s given a human emotion/expression.
---
14. As autumn turned to winter, the trees found themselves wearing white.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* Trees don’t “find themselves” or “wear” clothes — these are human actions/feelings applied to trees.
---
15. Kate’s long hair was a flowing golden river.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Directly states her hair *was* a river — no “like” or “as” used.
---
## 📊 Final Answer Summary:
| # | Sentence | Type |
|----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| 1 | The children crept, quietly as mice. | Simile |
| 2 | The car sputtered and coughed before starting. | Personification |
| 3 | The wind howled as if it were an angry wolf. | Simile |
| 4 | The engine roared like a lion. | Simile |
| 5 | The trees were a prison, trapping the boy. | Metaphor |
| 6 | The sunflowers nodded in the wind. | Personification |
| 7 | Luke ran like the wind until he reached the finish line. | Simile |
| 8 | Martha is the apple of her mum’s eye. | Metaphor |
| 9 | The King was a furious lion. | Metaphor |
| 10 | The sun hid silently behind a grey cloud. | Personification |
| 11 | Pam was as cool as a cucumber. | Simile |
| 12 | Robert’s eyes are the ocean, so clear and so blue. | Metaphor |
| 13 | The sun smiled down on the children as they played on the sand. | Personification |
| 14 | As autumn turned to winter, the trees found themselves wearing white. | Personification |
| 15 | Kate’s long hair was a flowing golden river. | Metaphor |
---
✔ You now have all sentences correctly classified with explanations! Let me know if you’d like a printable version or quiz format.
---
🔹 Definitions Recap:
- Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as” to show similarity between two different things.
- Metaphor: A direct comparison stating one thing *is* another (no “like” or “as”).
- Personification: Giving human qualities, actions, or emotions to non-human things (animals, objects, nature, etc.).
---
## ✔ Answers & Explanations:
---
1. The children crept, quietly as mice.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “as” to compare how quietly the children moved to how quietly mice move.
---
2. The car sputtered and coughed before starting.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* Cars don’t literally “cough” — this gives the car a human-like action to describe its mechanical struggle.
---
3. The wind howled as if it were an angry wolf.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “as if” to compare the wind’s sound to that of an angry wolf. “As if” functions like “like” in similes.
---
4. The engine roared like a lion.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “like” to compare the engine’s sound to a lion’s roar.
---
5. The trees were a prison, trapping the boy.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Says the trees *were* a prison — directly comparing them without “like” or “as”. It implies they confined him.
---
6. The sunflowers nodded in the wind.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* Sunflowers don’t have heads that “nod” intentionally — this gives them a human gesture.
---
7. Luke ran like the wind until he reached the finish line.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “like” to compare Luke’s speed to the wind’s speed.
---
8. Martha is the apple of her mum’s eye.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* This is an idiom meaning she is deeply loved — it directly says she *is* the apple, not “like” the apple.
---
9. The King was a furious lion.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Directly compares the king to a lion — no “like” or “as” used.
---
10. The sun hid silently behind a grey cloud.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* The sun doesn’t “hide” — that’s a human action. It’s given intentional behavior.
---
11. Pam was as cool as a cucumber.
→ Simile
*Explanation:* Uses “as...as” to compare Pam’s calmness to the coolness of a cucumber.
---
12. Robert’s eyes are the ocean, so clear and so blue.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Says his eyes *are* the ocean — direct comparison, no “like” or “as”.
---
13. The sun smiled down on the children as they played on the sand.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* The sun doesn’t smile — it’s given a human emotion/expression.
---
14. As autumn turned to winter, the trees found themselves wearing white.
→ Personification
*Explanation:* Trees don’t “find themselves” or “wear” clothes — these are human actions/feelings applied to trees.
---
15. Kate’s long hair was a flowing golden river.
→ Metaphor
*Explanation:* Directly states her hair *was* a river — no “like” or “as” used.
---
## 📊 Final Answer Summary:
| # | Sentence | Type |
|----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| 1 | The children crept, quietly as mice. | Simile |
| 2 | The car sputtered and coughed before starting. | Personification |
| 3 | The wind howled as if it were an angry wolf. | Simile |
| 4 | The engine roared like a lion. | Simile |
| 5 | The trees were a prison, trapping the boy. | Metaphor |
| 6 | The sunflowers nodded in the wind. | Personification |
| 7 | Luke ran like the wind until he reached the finish line. | Simile |
| 8 | Martha is the apple of her mum’s eye. | Metaphor |
| 9 | The King was a furious lion. | Metaphor |
| 10 | The sun hid silently behind a grey cloud. | Personification |
| 11 | Pam was as cool as a cucumber. | Simile |
| 12 | Robert’s eyes are the ocean, so clear and so blue. | Metaphor |
| 13 | The sun smiled down on the children as they played on the sand. | Personification |
| 14 | As autumn turned to winter, the trees found themselves wearing white. | Personification |
| 15 | Kate’s long hair was a flowing golden river. | Metaphor |
---
✔ You now have all sentences correctly classified with explanations! Let me know if you’d like a printable version or quiz format.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of personification print worksheet.
