Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 163 · 40 questions

Word tip (Not what the words say): Do not picture the words literally. Think of the situation where people use the idiom: “The test was a piece of cake” = it was very easy. Idioms are fixed — learn them whole, word for word.

1. 1.What does the idiom “burn the midnight oil” mean? (a) cook at night (b) light a lamp (c) waste oil (d) work late into the night
2. 2.Complete the idiom: Dev finished his project at the eleventh ___. (a) hour (b) month (c) day (d) minute
3. 3.What does the idiom “break the ice” mean? (a) start a friendly talk (b) feel very cold (c) get very angry (d) break something cold
4. 4.What does the idiom “the apple of someone’s eye” mean? (a) an eye problem (b) a dearly loved person (c) a greedy person (d) a red fruit
5. 5.What does the idiom “by hook or by crook” mean? (a) by any means (b) with help (c) by fishing (d) very slowly
6. 6.What does the idiom “face the music” mean? (a) enjoy a song (b) sing on stage (c) accept the punishment (d) dance well
7. 7.What does the idiom “hit the sack” mean? (a) go to bed (b) go shopping (c) punch a bag (d) pack a bag
8. 8.What does the idiom “under the weather” mean? (a) out in the rain (b) feeling unwell (c) very happy (d) very busy
9. 9.Complete the idiom: Our plan failed, so we were back to square ___. (a) two (b) ten (c) one (d) zero
10. 10.What does the idiom “see eye to eye” mean? (a) see clearly (b) stare angrily (c) agree fully (d) look closely
11. 11.Complete the idiom: Yash burnt the midnight ___ before his exam. (a) lamp (b) oil (c) candle (d) paper
12. 12.Complete the idiom: The two friends decided to bury the ___. (a) hatchet (b) box (c) treasure (d) bone
13. 13.What does the idiom “at the eleventh hour” mean? (a) very early (b) at 11 o'clock (c) every hour (d) at the last moment
14. 14.What does the idiom “feel blue” mean? (a) turn blue (b) feel cold (c) feel lucky (d) feel sad
15. 15.Complete the idiom: Hold your ___! Wait for everyone to sit down. (a) goats (b) dogs (c) horses (d) cows
16. 16.What does the idiom “throw in the towel” mean? (a) win easily (b) clean up (c) give up (d) dry your hands
17. 17.Complete the idiom: Don’t cry over spilt ___. (a) milk (b) juice (c) tea (d) water
18. 18.Complete the idiom: Breaking the vase was the last ___; Mum was really upset. (a) cup (b) stone (c) stick (d) straw
19. 19.What does the idiom “a fish out of water” mean? (a) a dying fish (b) uncomfortable in a place (c) a good swimmer (d) a hungry cat
20. 20.What does the idiom “on cloud nine” mean? (a) in the rain (b) very sleepy (c) very happy (d) on a plane
21. 21.Complete the idiom: The exam was so easy; it was a ___ of cake. (a) piece (b) bowl (c) box (d) plate
22. 22.Complete the idiom: Ishaan let the cat out of the ___. (a) room (b) house (c) bag (d) box
23. 23.Complete the idiom: I had butterflies in my ___ before the race. (a) stomach (b) head (c) shoes (d) hands
24. 24.What does the idiom “a white elephant” mean? (a) a rare animal (b) a big white toy (c) a lucky charm (d) costly but useless thing
25. 25.Complete the idiom: Kabir spilled the ___ about the surprise party. (a) milk (b) tea (c) rice (d) beans
26. 26.What does the idiom “all ears” mean? (a) very noisy (b) listening eagerly (c) hard of hearing (d) having big ears
27. 27.What does the idiom “turn a deaf ear” mean? (a) whisper softly (b) lose hearing (c) refuse to listen (d) listen carefully
28. 28.What does the idiom “give the cold shoulder” mean? (a) hug someone (b) feel very cold (c) ignore someone (d) hurt a shoulder
29. 29.Complete the idiom: After the argument, Zoya gave her brother the cold ___. (a) hand (b) foot (c) water (d) shoulder
30. 30.Complete the idiom: After the long day, Dad decided to hit the ___. (a) wall (b) ball (c) sack (d) bag
31. 31.What does the idiom “once in a blue moon” mean? (a) at midnight (b) very rarely (c) very quickly (d) every night
32. 32.Complete the idiom: Their fight over a pencil was just a storm in a ___. (a) bucket (b) glass (c) teacup (d) bottle
33. 33.Complete the idiom: Can you keep an ___ on my bag for a minute? (a) hand (b) eye (c) arm (d) ear
34. 34.Complete the idiom: The money we raised is just a drop in the ___. (a) glass (b) ocean (c) river (d) pond
35. 35.What does the idiom “a storm in a teacup” mean? (a) a broken cup (b) spilt tea (c) big fuss over little (d) bad weather
36. 36.Complete the idiom: We will finish this by hook or by ___. (a) crook (b) book (c) look (d) cook
37. 37.Complete the idiom: Could you lend me a ___ with these heavy bags? (a) foot (b) hand (c) leg (d) head
38. 38.What does the idiom “a drop in the ocean” mean? (a) a rain shower (b) a very small amount (c) a big wave (d) a sea journey
39. 39.What does the idiom “in the same boat” mean? (a) in the same trouble (b) very rich (c) in a ship (d) on a holiday
40. 40.What does the idiom “zip your lips” mean? (a) close a bag (b) eat quickly (c) keep quiet (d) smile widely

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