Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 265 · 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 “kill two birds with one stone” mean? (a) be very cruel (b) throw stones (c) hunt birds (d) do two jobs at once
2. 2.Complete the idiom: The news came out of the ___. (a) red (b) blue (c) green (d) pink
3. 3.Complete the idiom: We will finish this by hook or by ___. (a) look (b) book (c) cook (d) crook
4. 4.Complete the idiom: I had butterflies in my ___ before the race. (a) stomach (b) head (c) hands (d) shoes
5. 5.What does the idiom “sit on the fence” mean? (a) fall down (b) rest outside (c) fix a fence (d) not take a side
6. 6.What does the idiom “by hook or by crook” mean? (a) by any means (b) by fishing (c) with help (d) very slowly
7. 7.What does the idiom “cost an arm and a leg” mean? (a) be cheap (b) be very expensive (c) hurt badly (d) need a doctor
8. 8.Complete the idiom: Stop beating around the ___ and tell me the truth. (a) garden (b) house (c) bush (d) tree
9. 9.Complete the idiom: Kavya is the apple of her grandfather’s ___. (a) tree (b) heart (c) hand (d) eye
10. 10.What does the idiom “when pigs fly” mean? (a) very soon (b) every morning (c) in summer (d) never
11. 11.Complete the idiom: Rohan was over the ___ when he won the prize. (a) sun (b) moon (c) hill (d) stars
12. 12.Complete the idiom: The money we raised is just a drop in the ___. (a) pond (b) river (c) glass (d) ocean
13. 13.What does the idiom “get cold feet” mean? (a) feel very cold (b) get nervous and back out (c) walk on ice (d) need new socks
14. 14.Complete the idiom: Stop pulling my ___; I know you are joking! (a) ear (b) arm (c) hair (d) leg
15. 15.What does the idiom “the last straw” mean? (a) the final problem (b) the end of a drink (c) a broken straw (d) a small gift
16. 16.What does the idiom “zip your lips” mean? (a) smile widely (b) eat quickly (c) close a bag (d) keep quiet
17. 17.Complete the idiom: The maths test was a piece of ___. (a) bread (b) chalk (c) paper (d) cake
18. 18.Complete the idiom: Don’t cry over spilt ___. (a) tea (b) juice (c) water (d) milk
19. 19.What does the idiom “on the same page” mean? (a) very busy (b) reading a book (c) far apart (d) in agreement
20. 20.Complete the idiom: Kabir spilled the ___ about the surprise party. (a) tea (b) beans (c) rice (d) milk
21. 21.What does the idiom “let the cat out of the bag” mean? (a) tell a lie (b) tell a secret (c) free a pet (d) go shopping
22. 22.What does the idiom “cry over spilt milk” mean? (a) waste milk (b) cry loudly (c) worry about the past (d) be very hungry
23. 23.What does the idiom “break the ice” mean? (a) feel very cold (b) start a friendly talk (c) break something cold (d) get very angry
24. 24.What does the idiom “lend a hand” mean? (a) help someone (b) give a hand away (c) borrow money (d) shake hands
25. 25.Complete the idiom: The two friends decided to bury the ___. (a) box (b) treasure (c) bone (d) hatchet
26. 26.What does the idiom “a white elephant” mean? (a) a lucky charm (b) costly but useless thing (c) a rare animal (d) a big white toy
27. 27.What does the idiom “in hot water” mean? (a) taking a bath (b) very busy (c) feeling warm (d) in trouble
28. 28.Complete the idiom: The test was hard, but I had to bite the ___ and finish it. (a) pencil (b) bullet (c) apple (d) biscuit
29. 29.Complete the idiom: The exam was so easy; it was a ___ of cake. (a) plate (b) box (c) bowl (d) piece
30. 30.What does the idiom “hold your horses” mean? (a) hurry up (b) wait, be patient (c) ride a horse (d) feed the horses
31. 31.What does the idiom “in the same boat” mean? (a) on a holiday (b) very rich (c) in a ship (d) in the same trouble
32. 32.Complete the idiom: Shouting at him will only add fuel to the ___. (a) fire (b) stove (c) lamp (d) car
33. 33.What does the idiom “once in a blue moon” mean? (a) very quickly (b) every night (c) at midnight (d) very rarely
34. 34.Complete the idiom: After winning the prize, Riya was on cloud ___. (a) five (b) ten (c) nine (d) seven
35. 35.Complete the idiom: Riya visits the zoo once in a blue ___. (a) sky (b) sea (c) sun (d) moon
36. 36.What does the idiom “a storm in a teacup” mean? (a) spilt tea (b) big fuss over little (c) a broken cup (d) bad weather
37. 37.Complete the idiom: It is raining cats and ___. (a) cows (b) rats (c) dogs (d) mice
38. 38.What does the idiom “all ears” mean? (a) having big ears (b) hard of hearing (c) listening eagerly (d) very noisy
39. 39.What does the idiom “beat around the bush” mean? (a) hit a plant (b) clean the garden (c) avoid the main point (d) run very fast
40. 40.What does the idiom “give the cold shoulder” mean? (a) feel very cold (b) hug someone (c) hurt a shoulder (d) ignore someone

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