Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 27 · 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.Complete the idiom: Breaking the vase was the last ___; Mum was really upset. (a) stone (b) cup (c) straw (d) stick
2. 2.What does the idiom “on cloud nine” mean? (a) on a plane (b) very happy (c) very sleepy (d) in the rain
3. 3.Complete the idiom: Yash burnt the midnight ___ before his exam. (a) lamp (b) oil (c) candle (d) paper
4. 4.What does the idiom “turn a deaf ear” mean? (a) whisper softly (b) refuse to listen (c) listen carefully (d) lose hearing
5. 5.What does the idiom “when pigs fly” mean? (a) in summer (b) every morning (c) never (d) very soon
6. 6.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
7. 7.Complete the idiom: Rohan cannot decide; he is sitting on the ___. (a) fence (b) bench (c) chair (d) wall
8. 8.What does the idiom “sit on the fence” mean? (a) fix a fence (b) rest outside (c) fall down (d) not take a side
9. 9.Complete the idiom: Hold your ___! Wait for everyone to sit down. (a) dogs (b) horses (c) cows (d) goats
10. 10.What does the idiom “hit the books” mean? (a) buy books (b) throw books (c) tear books (d) study hard
11. 11.Complete the idiom: Shouting at him will only add fuel to the ___. (a) stove (b) fire (c) car (d) lamp
12. 12.Complete the idiom: Kavya is the apple of her grandfather’s ___. (a) tree (b) heart (c) hand (d) eye
13. 13.Complete the idiom: Our plan failed, so we were back to square ___. (a) ten (b) zero (c) two (d) one
14. 14.What does the idiom “add fuel to the fire” mean? (a) make things worse (b) fill a car (c) put out a fire (d) cook food
15. 15.What does the idiom “once in a blue moon” mean? (a) very rarely (b) at midnight (c) very quickly (d) every night
16. 16.What does the idiom “a storm in a teacup” mean? (a) a broken cup (b) bad weather (c) big fuss over little (d) spilt tea
17. 17.What does the idiom “hold your horses” mean? (a) feed the horses (b) wait, be patient (c) ride a horse (d) hurry up
18. 18.What does the idiom “throw in the towel” mean? (a) clean up (b) dry your hands (c) win easily (d) give up
19. 19.Complete the idiom: Their fight over a pencil was just a storm in a ___. (a) teacup (b) glass (c) bucket (d) bottle
20. 20.What does the idiom “a red-letter day” mean? (a) a postal holiday (b) a sad day (c) a day of danger (d) a special, happy day
21. 21.What does the idiom “let the cat out of the bag” mean? (a) tell a lie (b) tell a secret (c) go shopping (d) free a pet
22. 22.Complete the idiom: The two friends decided to bury the ___. (a) box (b) hatchet (c) treasure (d) bone
23. 23.Complete the idiom: That shop sells sweets that cost an arm and a ___. (a) nose (b) foot (c) leg (d) hand
24. 24.What does the idiom “spill the beans” mean? (a) waste food (b) tell a secret (c) cook badly (d) tell a lie
25. 25.What does the idiom “a white elephant” mean? (a) a lucky charm (b) a big white toy (c) costly but useless thing (d) a rare animal
26. 26.Complete the idiom: I had butterflies in my ___ before the race. (a) shoes (b) hands (c) stomach (d) head
27. 27.What does the idiom “feel blue” mean? (a) feel lucky (b) feel cold (c) feel sad (d) turn blue
28. 28.What does the idiom “a drop in the ocean” mean? (a) a very small amount (b) a big wave (c) a sea journey (d) a rain shower
29. 29.What does the idiom “a blessing in disguise” mean? (a) a sad goodbye (b) a fancy dress (c) a secret prayer (d) good luck that looks bad
30. 30.What does the idiom “out of the blue” mean? (a) from the sea (b) from the sky (c) very sad (d) suddenly, unexpectedly
31. 31.Complete the idiom: After the argument, Zoya gave her brother the cold ___. (a) water (b) shoulder (c) foot (d) hand
32. 32.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
33. 33.What does the idiom “in the same boat” mean? (a) on a holiday (b) very rich (c) in the same trouble (d) in a ship
34. 34.What does the idiom “cry over spilt milk” mean? (a) cry loudly (b) worry about the past (c) waste milk (d) be very hungry
35. 35.Complete the idiom: Aditya felt like a fish out of ___ at the new school. (a) sand (b) air (c) milk (d) water
36. 36.Complete the idiom: After winning the prize, Riya was on cloud ___. (a) ten (b) five (c) seven (d) nine
37. 37.What does the idiom “pull someone’s leg” mean? (a) hurt someone (b) help someone walk (c) tease someone (d) trip someone
38. 38.What does the idiom “all ears” mean? (a) having big ears (b) very noisy (c) listening eagerly (d) hard of hearing
39. 39.What does the idiom “face the music” mean? (a) enjoy a song (b) sing on stage (c) dance well (d) accept the punishment
40. 40.What does the idiom “butterflies in the stomach” mean? (a) a stomach ache (b) a hungry feeling (c) a nervous feeling (d) a happy dance

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