Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 188 · 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 “raining cats and dogs” mean? (a) pets are fighting (b) raining very heavily (c) a light shower (d) animals are falling
2. 2.What does the idiom “under the weather” mean? (a) very busy (b) feeling unwell (c) out in the rain (d) very happy
3. 3.Complete the idiom: Shouting at him will only add fuel to the ___. (a) fire (b) stove (c) lamp (d) car
4. 4.Complete the idiom: We will finish this by hook or by ___. (a) crook (b) cook (c) book (d) look
5. 5.What does the idiom “give the cold shoulder” mean? (a) feel very cold (b) hurt a shoulder (c) hug someone (d) ignore someone
6. 6.What does the idiom “in the same boat” mean? (a) in a ship (b) very rich (c) on a holiday (d) in the same trouble
7. 7.What does the idiom “beat around the bush” mean? (a) clean the garden (b) hit a plant (c) run very fast (d) avoid the main point
8. 8.What does the idiom “call it a day” mean? (a) start a new day (b) name the day (c) phone a friend (d) stop working for now
9. 9.What does the idiom “a fish out of water” mean? (a) uncomfortable in a place (b) a good swimmer (c) a dying fish (d) a hungry cat
10. 10.Complete the idiom: Could you lend me a ___ with these heavy bags? (a) hand (b) foot (c) head (d) leg
11. 11.What does the idiom “back to square one” mean? (a) starting all over again (b) winning a game (c) a new square shape (d) going backwards
12. 12.What does the idiom “out of the blue” mean? (a) suddenly, unexpectedly (b) very sad (c) from the sky (d) from the sea
13. 13.What does the idiom “a blessing in disguise” mean? (a) a fancy dress (b) a secret prayer (c) good luck that looks bad (d) a sad goodbye
14. 14.What does the idiom “a red-letter day” mean? (a) a day of danger (b) a sad day (c) a postal holiday (d) a special, happy day
15. 15.Complete the idiom: Rohan was over the ___ when he won the prize. (a) stars (b) sun (c) hill (d) moon
16. 16.What does the idiom “by hook or by crook” mean? (a) by fishing (b) by any means (c) very slowly (d) with help
17. 17.What does the idiom “all ears” mean? (a) having big ears (b) hard of hearing (c) very noisy (d) listening eagerly
18. 18.What does the idiom “spill the beans” mean? (a) tell a secret (b) cook badly (c) tell a lie (d) waste food
19. 19.Complete the idiom: I had butterflies in my ___ before the race. (a) shoes (b) head (c) stomach (d) hands
20. 20.What does the idiom “get cold feet” mean? (a) need new socks (b) feel very cold (c) walk on ice (d) get nervous and back out
21. 21.What does the idiom “burn the midnight oil” mean? (a) cook at night (b) waste oil (c) light a lamp (d) work late into the night
22. 22.Complete the idiom: After the long day, Dad decided to hit the ___. (a) ball (b) bag (c) wall (d) sack
23. 23.What does the idiom “break the ice” mean? (a) feel very cold (b) start a friendly talk (c) get very angry (d) break something cold
24. 24.What does the idiom “the apple of someone’s eye” mean? (a) a red fruit (b) an eye problem (c) a greedy person (d) a dearly loved person
25. 25.What does the idiom “feel blue” mean? (a) feel cold (b) feel lucky (c) turn blue (d) feel sad
26. 26.What does the idiom “once bitten, twice shy” mean? (a) very shy (b) bitten by a dog (c) brave again (d) careful after a bad time
27. 27.What does the idiom “keep an eye on” mean? (a) stare rudely (b) wear glasses (c) watch carefully (d) close one eye
28. 28.Complete the idiom: Ananya was all ___ when Grandpa told the story. (a) eyes (b) hands (c) feet (d) ears
29. 29.What does the idiom “when pigs fly” mean? (a) in summer (b) every morning (c) very soon (d) never
30. 30.What does the idiom “bite the bullet” mean? (a) break a tooth (b) bravely do a hard thing (c) get angry (d) eat something hard
31. 31.Complete the idiom: Kabir spilled the ___ about the surprise party. (a) rice (b) tea (c) milk (d) beans
32. 32.Complete the idiom: Rohan cannot decide; he is sitting on the ___. (a) wall (b) chair (c) fence (d) bench
33. 33.Complete the idiom: Stop beating around the ___ and tell me the truth. (a) house (b) bush (c) garden (d) tree
34. 34.What does the idiom “sit on the fence” mean? (a) fix a fence (b) not take a side (c) fall down (d) rest outside
35. 35.What does the idiom “hold your horses” mean? (a) feed the horses (b) hurry up (c) wait, be patient (d) ride a horse
36. 36.Complete the idiom: Riya visits the zoo once in a blue ___. (a) sun (b) moon (c) sky (d) sea
37. 37.Complete the idiom: The money we raised is just a drop in the ___. (a) river (b) pond (c) glass (d) ocean
38. 38.Complete the idiom: The maths test was a piece of ___. (a) bread (b) chalk (c) paper (d) cake
39. 39.Complete the idiom: It is raining ___ and dogs outside. (a) rats (b) cows (c) cats (d) mice
40. 40.What does the idiom “butterflies in the stomach” mean? (a) a hungry feeling (b) a nervous feeling (c) a stomach ache (d) a happy dance

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