Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 284 · 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: It is raining ___ and dogs outside. (a) cats (b) mice (c) cows (d) rats
2. 2.What does the idiom “a blessing in disguise” mean? (a) good luck that looks bad (b) a secret prayer (c) a fancy dress (d) a sad goodbye
3. 3.What does the idiom “sit on the fence” mean? (a) fix a fence (b) fall down (c) not take a side (d) rest outside
4. 4.Complete the idiom: Stop pulling my ___; I know you are joking! (a) hair (b) ear (c) arm (d) leg
5. 5.What does the idiom “the last straw” mean? (a) a broken straw (b) the final problem (c) a small gift (d) the end of a drink
6. 6.What does the idiom “raining cats and dogs” mean? (a) raining very heavily (b) a light shower (c) animals are falling (d) pets are fighting
7. 7.What does the idiom “cost an arm and a leg” mean? (a) be cheap (b) hurt badly (c) need a doctor (d) be very expensive
8. 8.Complete the idiom: That shop sells sweets that cost an arm and a ___. (a) leg (b) foot (c) hand (d) nose
9. 9.Complete the idiom: Don’t give up now; don’t throw in the ___! (a) book (b) bag (c) ball (d) towel
10. 10.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
11. 11.Complete the idiom: The news came out of the ___. (a) green (b) blue (c) pink (d) red
12. 12.What does the idiom “add fuel to the fire” mean? (a) make things worse (b) cook food (c) fill a car (d) put out a fire
13. 13.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
14. 14.What does the idiom “a fish out of water” mean? (a) a dying fish (b) a good swimmer (c) uncomfortable in a place (d) a hungry cat
15. 15.What does the idiom “pull someone’s leg” mean? (a) help someone walk (b) hurt someone (c) trip someone (d) tease someone
16. 16.What does the idiom “at the eleventh hour” mean? (a) every hour (b) very early (c) at the last moment (d) at 11 o'clock
17. 17.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
18. 18.What does the idiom “butterflies in the stomach” mean? (a) a hungry feeling (b) a nervous feeling (c) a happy dance (d) a stomach ache
19. 19.Complete the idiom: Can you keep an ___ on my bag for a minute? (a) hand (b) ear (c) arm (d) eye
20. 20.Complete the idiom: The maths test was a piece of ___. (a) bread (b) chalk (c) cake (d) paper
21. 21.Complete the idiom: Don’t cry over spilt ___. (a) water (b) tea (c) milk (d) juice
22. 22.What does the idiom “face the music” mean? (a) enjoy a song (b) dance well (c) accept the punishment (d) sing on stage
23. 23.What does the idiom “hold your horses” mean? (a) ride a horse (b) feed the horses (c) wait, be patient (d) hurry up
24. 24.What does the idiom “hit the sack” mean? (a) punch a bag (b) go shopping (c) go to bed (d) pack a bag
25. 25.What does the idiom “bury the hatchet” mean? (a) hide a weapon (b) make peace (c) start a fight (d) dig a hole
26. 26.Complete the idiom: Riya visits the zoo once in a blue ___. (a) sky (b) sun (c) sea (d) moon
27. 27.Complete the idiom: Rohan cannot decide; he is sitting on the ___. (a) bench (b) wall (c) fence (d) chair
28. 28.Complete the idiom: Stop beating around the ___ and tell me the truth. (a) house (b) garden (c) tree (d) bush
29. 29.Complete the idiom: Kavya is the apple of her grandfather’s ___. (a) heart (b) eye (c) tree (d) hand
30. 30.What does the idiom “the apple of someone’s eye” mean? (a) a red fruit (b) an eye problem (c) a dearly loved person (d) a greedy person
31. 31.What does the idiom “spill the beans” mean? (a) tell a secret (b) cook badly (c) tell a lie (d) waste food
32. 32.What does the idiom “kill two birds with one stone” mean? (a) do two jobs at once (b) throw stones (c) be very cruel (d) hunt birds
33. 33.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
34. 34.Complete the idiom: Our plan failed, so we were back to square ___. (a) ten (b) one (c) zero (d) two
35. 35.What does the idiom “a white elephant” mean? (a) a rare animal (b) a big white toy (c) costly but useless thing (d) a lucky charm
36. 36.What does the idiom “let the cat out of the bag” mean? (a) free a pet (b) tell a lie (c) tell a secret (d) go shopping
37. 37.What does the idiom “turn a deaf ear” mean? (a) listen carefully (b) lose hearing (c) whisper softly (d) refuse to listen
38. 38.What does the idiom “keep an eye on” mean? (a) close one eye (b) watch carefully (c) wear glasses (d) stare rudely
39. 39.Complete the idiom: After the argument, Zoya gave her brother the cold ___. (a) shoulder (b) hand (c) foot (d) water
40. 40.Complete the idiom: After the long day, Dad decided to hit the ___. (a) sack (b) wall (c) ball (d) bag

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