Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Vocabulary lesson 22: Idioms and phrases · Set 286 · 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: The test was hard, but I had to bite the ___ and finish it. (a) pencil (b) apple (c) biscuit (d) bullet
2. 2.Complete the idiom: Can you keep an ___ on my bag for a minute? (a) arm (b) hand (c) ear (d) eye
3. 3.What does the idiom “give the cold shoulder” mean? (a) ignore someone (b) feel very cold (c) hurt a shoulder (d) hug someone
4. 4.What does the idiom “hit the sack” mean? (a) pack a bag (b) punch a bag (c) go shopping (d) go to bed
5. 5.Complete the idiom: Riya visits the zoo once in a blue ___. (a) sky (b) sun (c) moon (d) sea
6. 6.What does the idiom “butterflies in the stomach” mean? (a) a stomach ache (b) a happy dance (c) a nervous feeling (d) a hungry feeling
7. 7.What does the idiom “cry over spilt milk” mean? (a) cry loudly (b) waste milk (c) be very hungry (d) worry about the past
8. 8.What does the idiom “call it a day” mean? (a) start a new day (b) name the day (c) stop working for now (d) phone a friend
9. 9.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
10. 10.What does the idiom “spill the beans” mean? (a) tell a lie (b) waste food (c) cook badly (d) tell a secret
11. 11.Complete the idiom: Don’t cry over spilt ___. (a) water (b) juice (c) milk (d) tea
12. 12.Complete the idiom: Aditya felt like a fish out of ___ at the new school. (a) milk (b) air (c) water (d) sand
13. 13.What does the idiom “a piece of cake” mean? (a) very tasty (b) very easy (c) very sweet (d) very small
14. 14.Complete the idiom: I had butterflies in my ___ before the race. (a) hands (b) head (c) shoes (d) stomach
15. 15.What does the idiom “break the ice” mean? (a) start a friendly talk (b) feel very cold (c) get very angry (d) break something cold
16. 16.Complete the idiom: The two friends decided to bury the ___. (a) treasure (b) bone (c) box (d) hatchet
17. 17.What does the idiom “beat around the bush” mean? (a) avoid the main point (b) hit a plant (c) clean the garden (d) run very fast
18. 18.What does the idiom “sit on the fence” mean? (a) fix a fence (b) not take a side (c) fall down (d) rest outside
19. 19.Complete the idiom: We will finish this by hook or by ___. (a) crook (b) look (c) book (d) cook
20. 20.What does the idiom “keep an eye on” mean? (a) watch carefully (b) stare rudely (c) wear glasses (d) close one eye
21. 21.What does the idiom “a fish out of water” mean? (a) uncomfortable in a place (b) a dying fish (c) a hungry cat (d) a good swimmer
22. 22.Complete the idiom: The news came out of the ___. (a) blue (b) red (c) green (d) pink
23. 23.What does the idiom “all ears” mean? (a) very noisy (b) listening eagerly (c) hard of hearing (d) having big ears
24. 24.What does the idiom “get cold feet” mean? (a) need new socks (b) get nervous and back out (c) walk on ice (d) feel very cold
25. 25.What does the idiom “hold your horses” mean? (a) feed the horses (b) hurry up (c) ride a horse (d) wait, be patient
26. 26.What does the idiom “let the cat out of the bag” mean? (a) free a pet (b) tell a secret (c) tell a lie (d) go shopping
27. 27.Complete the idiom: The maths test was a piece of ___. (a) paper (b) bread (c) chalk (d) cake
28. 28.Complete the idiom: Ishaan let the cat out of the ___. (a) box (b) house (c) room (d) bag
29. 29.Complete the idiom: Don’t give up now; don’t throw in the ___! (a) ball (b) towel (c) bag (d) book
30. 30.What does the idiom “once bitten, twice shy” mean? (a) bitten by a dog (b) careful after a bad time (c) very shy (d) brave again
31. 31.What does the idiom “zip your lips” mean? (a) keep quiet (b) smile widely (c) eat quickly (d) close a bag
32. 32.What does the idiom “turn a deaf ear” mean? (a) listen carefully (b) whisper softly (c) refuse to listen (d) lose hearing
33. 33.Complete the idiom: Our plan failed, so we were back to square ___. (a) two (b) zero (c) one (d) ten
34. 34.What does the idiom “the apple of someone’s eye” mean? (a) a greedy person (b) an eye problem (c) a red fruit (d) a dearly loved person
35. 35.Complete the idiom: After the argument, Zoya gave her brother the cold ___. (a) hand (b) foot (c) water (d) shoulder
36. 36.Complete the idiom: Ananya was all ___ when Grandpa told the story. (a) eyes (b) ears (c) feet (d) hands
37. 37.What does the idiom “a red-letter day” mean? (a) a day of danger (b) a sad day (c) a postal holiday (d) a special, happy day
38. 38.What does the idiom “hit the books” mean? (a) study hard (b) buy books (c) tear books (d) throw books
39. 39.What does the idiom “face the music” mean? (a) dance well (b) enjoy a song (c) sing on stage (d) accept the punishment
40. 40.What does the idiom “in hot water” mean? (a) very busy (b) in trouble (c) taking a bath (d) feeling warm

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