Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 220 · 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 “spill the beans” mean? (a) waste food (b) tell a secret (c) cook badly (d) tell a lie
2. 2.Complete the idiom: After the long day, Dad decided to hit the ___. (a) sack (b) wall (c) bag (d) ball
3. 3.Complete the idiom: Shouting at him will only add fuel to the ___. (a) stove (b) lamp (c) fire (d) car
4. 4.What does the idiom “keep an eye on” mean? (a) watch carefully (b) wear glasses (c) close one eye (d) stare rudely
5. 5.Complete the idiom: After the argument, Zoya gave her brother the cold ___. (a) shoulder (b) foot (c) water (d) hand
6. 6.Complete the idiom: Rohan cannot decide; he is sitting on the ___. (a) fence (b) bench (c) chair (d) wall
7. 7.What does the idiom “give the cold shoulder” mean? (a) feel very cold (b) hug someone (c) hurt a shoulder (d) ignore someone
8. 8.Complete the idiom: It is raining cats and ___. (a) mice (b) cows (c) dogs (d) rats
9. 9.What does the idiom “beat around the bush” mean? (a) run very fast (b) hit a plant (c) avoid the main point (d) clean the garden
10. 10.What does the idiom “under the weather” mean? (a) very happy (b) feeling unwell (c) out in the rain (d) very busy
11. 11.Complete the idiom: Riya visits the zoo once in a blue ___. (a) moon (b) sea (c) sun (d) sky
12. 12.What does the idiom “a blessing in disguise” mean? (a) a sad goodbye (b) a secret prayer (c) a fancy dress (d) good luck that looks bad
13. 13.What does the idiom “zip your lips” mean? (a) smile widely (b) keep quiet (c) close a bag (d) eat quickly
14. 14.Complete the idiom: The exam was so easy; it was a ___ of cake. (a) bowl (b) piece (c) plate (d) box
15. 15.What does the idiom “hold your horses” mean? (a) hurry up (b) wait, be patient (c) feed the horses (d) ride a horse
16. 16.What does the idiom “a drop in the ocean” mean? (a) a rain shower (b) a sea journey (c) a big wave (d) a very small amount
17. 17.Complete the idiom: The money we raised is just a drop in the ___. (a) pond (b) ocean (c) glass (d) river
18. 18.What does the idiom “back to square one” mean? (a) going backwards (b) winning a game (c) starting all over again (d) a new square shape
19. 19.Complete the idiom: It is raining ___ and dogs outside. (a) cats (b) mice (c) cows (d) rats
20. 20.What does the idiom “out of the blue” mean? (a) from the sky (b) from the sea (c) very sad (d) suddenly, unexpectedly
21. 21.Complete the idiom: After winning the prize, Riya was on cloud ___. (a) nine (b) five (c) seven (d) ten
22. 22.What does the idiom “on the same page” mean? (a) reading a book (b) in agreement (c) very busy (d) far apart
23. 23.Complete the idiom: The test was hard, but I had to bite the ___ and finish it. (a) pencil (b) apple (c) biscuit (d) bullet
24. 24.Complete the idiom: Our plan failed, so we were back to square ___. (a) two (b) ten (c) zero (d) one
25. 25.What does the idiom “in hot water” mean? (a) very busy (b) in trouble (c) taking a bath (d) feeling warm
26. 26.Complete the idiom: Could you lend me a ___ with these heavy bags? (a) foot (b) hand (c) leg (d) head
27. 27.What does the idiom “butterflies in the stomach” mean? (a) a stomach ache (b) a happy dance (c) a hungry feeling (d) a nervous feeling
28. 28.What does the idiom “cry over spilt milk” mean? (a) waste milk (b) cry loudly (c) worry about the past (d) be very hungry
29. 29.What does the idiom “lend a hand” mean? (a) help someone (b) give a hand away (c) shake hands (d) borrow money
30. 30.What does the idiom “a white elephant” mean? (a) costly but useless thing (b) a big white toy (c) a rare animal (d) a lucky charm
31. 31.Complete the idiom: The news came out of the ___. (a) pink (b) green (c) red (d) blue
32. 32.Complete the idiom: Hold your ___! Wait for everyone to sit down. (a) dogs (b) goats (c) horses (d) cows
33. 33.Complete the idiom: The maths test was a piece of ___. (a) chalk (b) paper (c) cake (d) bread
34. 34.Complete the idiom: Don’t give up now; don’t throw in the ___! (a) bag (b) book (c) towel (d) ball
35. 35.What does the idiom “once bitten, twice shy” mean? (a) bitten by a dog (b) brave again (c) very shy (d) careful after a bad time
36. 36.Complete the idiom: Dev finished his project at the eleventh ___. (a) hour (b) month (c) day (d) minute
37. 37.What does the idiom “sit on the fence” mean? (a) not take a side (b) rest outside (c) fix a fence (d) fall down
38. 38.What does the idiom “on cloud nine” mean? (a) in the rain (b) very happy (c) on a plane (d) very sleepy
39. 39.Complete the idiom: We will finish this by hook or by ___. (a) book (b) look (c) crook (d) cook
40. 40.Complete the idiom: Stop pulling my ___; I know you are joking! (a) arm (b) ear (c) hair (d) leg

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