Where Idioms Come From
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Where Idioms Come From" 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.
2 pages in this set
6th grade grammar worksheet: read where 6 idioms like learn the ropes and sour grapes are believed to come from, then use each. 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 read origin stories for 6 idioms, from sailing ships to an Aesop fable.
- Students will write what idioms like steal someone's thunder mean today.
- Students will use each idiom, including a red herring, in a sentence of their own.
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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Read where 6 idioms like learn the ropes and sour grapes are believed to come from, then use each. Many idioms are believed to have begun as plain words about real jobs, events, or stories. The directions on the page read: Read each idiom and the story of where it is believed to come from. Write what the idiom means today. Then use it in a sentence of your own. 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 | 2 pages |
| Difficulty | Medium |
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