Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 285 · 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 “all ears” mean? (a) having big ears (b) hard of hearing (c) very noisy (d) listening eagerly
2. 2.What does the idiom “a red-letter day” mean? (a) a sad day (b) a postal holiday (c) a day of danger (d) a special, happy day
3. 3.What does the idiom “beat around the bush” mean? (a) avoid the main point (b) clean the garden (c) run very fast (d) hit a plant
4. 4.What does the idiom “butterflies in the stomach” mean? (a) a stomach ache (b) a nervous feeling (c) a hungry feeling (d) a happy dance
5. 5.What does the idiom “break the ice” mean? (a) feel very cold (b) get very angry (c) break something cold (d) start a friendly talk
6. 6.What does the idiom “raining cats and dogs” mean? (a) pets are fighting (b) a light shower (c) animals are falling (d) raining very heavily
7. 7.What does the idiom “in the same boat” mean? (a) on a holiday (b) in a ship (c) very rich (d) in the same trouble
8. 8.What does the idiom “burn the midnight oil” mean? (a) waste oil (b) light a lamp (c) work late into the night (d) cook at night
9. 9.What does the idiom “give the cold shoulder” mean? (a) hug someone (b) feel very cold (c) hurt a shoulder (d) ignore someone
10. 10.What does the idiom “over the moon” mean? (a) very far away (b) in outer space (c) very tired (d) extremely happy
11. 11.Complete the idiom: Hold your ___! Wait for everyone to sit down. (a) cows (b) dogs (c) horses (d) goats
12. 12.Complete the idiom: After the argument, Zoya gave her brother the cold ___. (a) water (b) hand (c) shoulder (d) foot
13. 13.Complete the idiom: Don’t give up now; don’t throw in the ___! (a) ball (b) towel (c) book (d) bag
14. 14.Complete the idiom: Kavya is the apple of her grandfather’s ___. (a) eye (b) hand (c) heart (d) tree
15. 15.What does the idiom “throw in the towel” mean? (a) clean up (b) win easily (c) give up (d) dry your hands
16. 16.Complete the idiom: Rohan was over the ___ when he won the prize. (a) hill (b) stars (c) moon (d) sun
17. 17.What does the idiom “a drop in the ocean” mean? (a) a big wave (b) a rain shower (c) a sea journey (d) a very small amount
18. 18.What does the idiom “bury the hatchet” mean? (a) start a fight (b) dig a hole (c) make peace (d) hide a weapon
19. 19.What does the idiom “once bitten, twice shy” mean? (a) bitten by a dog (b) brave again (c) careful after a bad time (d) very shy
20. 20.What does the idiom “keep an eye on” mean? (a) close one eye (b) watch carefully (c) stare rudely (d) wear glasses
21. 21.Complete the idiom: Ishaan let the cat out of the ___. (a) house (b) box (c) room (d) bag
22. 22.Complete the idiom: The news came out of the ___. (a) blue (b) pink (c) red (d) green
23. 23.What does the idiom “back to square one” mean? (a) going backwards (b) a new square shape (c) winning a game (d) starting all over again
24. 24.What does the idiom “under the weather” mean? (a) out in the rain (b) very busy (c) very happy (d) feeling unwell
25. 25.What does the idiom “once in a blue moon” mean? (a) very quickly (b) every night (c) very rarely (d) at midnight
26. 26.Complete the idiom: The money we raised is just a drop in the ___. (a) pond (b) ocean (c) glass (d) river
27. 27.What does the idiom “a fish out of water” mean? (a) uncomfortable in a place (b) a dying fish (c) a good swimmer (d) a hungry cat
28. 28.Complete the idiom: Shouting at him will only add fuel to the ___. (a) fire (b) car (c) lamp (d) stove
29. 29.Complete the idiom: Don’t cry over spilt ___. (a) tea (b) water (c) milk (d) juice
30. 30.What does the idiom “bite the bullet” mean? (a) eat something hard (b) bravely do a hard thing (c) get angry (d) break a tooth
31. 31.Complete the idiom: We will finish this by hook or by ___. (a) look (b) book (c) cook (d) crook
32. 32.What does the idiom “zip your lips” mean? (a) eat quickly (b) smile widely (c) keep quiet (d) close a bag
33. 33.What does the idiom “the apple of someone’s eye” mean? (a) an eye problem (b) a red fruit (c) a greedy person (d) a dearly loved person
34. 34.Complete the idiom: The test was hard, but I had to bite the ___ and finish it. (a) apple (b) pencil (c) biscuit (d) bullet
35. 35.Complete the idiom: That shop sells sweets that cost an arm and a ___. (a) hand (b) nose (c) leg (d) foot
36. 36.Complete the idiom: After the long day, Dad decided to hit the ___. (a) sack (b) bag (c) wall (d) ball
37. 37.What does the idiom “a blessing in disguise” mean? (a) a fancy dress (b) a sad goodbye (c) a secret prayer (d) good luck that looks bad
38. 38.What does the idiom “cry over spilt milk” mean? (a) waste milk (b) cry loudly (c) be very hungry (d) worry about the past
39. 39.Complete the idiom: The maths test was a piece of ___. (a) cake (b) bread (c) chalk (d) paper
40. 40.Complete the idiom: It is raining ___ and dogs outside. (a) mice (b) cows (c) rats (d) cats

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