Idioms and Their Meanings
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Idioms and Their Meanings" is written for 6th Grade (Ages 11-12), and it covers Common Core L.6.5.A. If your student is a year younger but already steady on idioms, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and idiom meanings never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.
6th grade grammar worksheet: match 16 idioms like spill the beans and once in a blue moon to their meanings. Answer key included. Part of our idiom meanings idioms collection. Aligned to Common Core standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Start with the matching sheet, then read Opening Night aloud. Use Where Idioms Come From as an enrichment page that ends with writing.
What students will practice
- Students will match 16 idioms to meanings, using each letter once.
- Students will learn phrases such as hit the sack and cut corners.
- Students will find the real meaning of idioms whose single words mislead, like a piece of cake.
Curriculum Links
Common Core State Standards
Language · 6th Grade
Standard: Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.
View all L.6.5.A worksheets →Find this in the curriculum
Browse the grade, subject, and topic this belongs to.
FAQ
How do I use this idiom meanings worksheet?
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Start with the matching sheet, then read Opening Night aloud. Use Where Idioms Come From as an enrichment page that ends with writing.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Match 16 idioms like spill the beans and once in a blue moon to their meanings. An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from the meanings of its single words. The directions on the page read: Read each idiom. Find its meaning in the list on the right and write that letter on the line. Use each letter once. An answer key is included.
Can I use this idiom meanings worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade idioms, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with idiom meanings. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
What does on the fence mean?
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On the fence means unable to decide. It is one of 16 idioms on Idioms and Their Meanings.
Where does sour grapes come from?
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It comes from one of Aesop's fables, where a fox cannot reach some grapes and walks away saying they were probably sour anyway.
Do students write with idioms?
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Yes. Where Idioms Come From asks for a sentence of their own with each of 6 idioms.
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Worksheet Details
| Grade | 6th Grade |
| Subject | Grammar & Writing |
| Topic | Idioms |
| Standard | L.6.5.A |
| Pages | 1 page |
| Difficulty | Medium |
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