Literal Meanings
About This Worksheet
This Grade 7 Language Arts worksheet helps students decide whether a bold word or phrase is being used literally or figuratively. Literal language means exactly what the words say, while figurative language creates an imaginative meaning that should not be taken word for word. Students examine expressions such as “legs felt like jelly,” “grasp the concept,” and “time seemed to fly.” For example, “rain pounded the roof” is figurative because the rain is not using fists, but the phrase helps readers imagine a hard, forceful sound.
Learning Goals
The main goal is to help students recognize when familiar words take on a nonliteral meaning. Students should already understand the basic difference between facts and comparisons. This activity moves them toward explaining how context reveals whether a phrase describes a real action or creates an image. It supports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.5, which asks students to demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and shades of meaning.
Student Tasks
On this worksheet, students will read eight sentences and classify each bold expression as literal or figurative. They must then explain the reasoning behind every choice. The examples include comparisons, idioms, personification, and ordinary actions, so students cannot use one simple rule for every item. Their explanations should show what the phrase actually means in the sentence.
Common Challenges
Some students may think any unusual wording must be figurative. Others may recognize an expression but struggle to explain why it should not be taken literally. Phrases such as “cut corners” or “grasp the concept” can be confusing because the individual words have common literal meanings. Encourage students to ask whether the action could physically happen exactly as written in that situation.
Teaching Suggestions
A teacher can act out one literal phrase and one figurative phrase to make the contrast easy to see. Students can then restate each figurative expression in plain language before marking their answer. At home, a parent can ask what picture the phrase creates and what the speaker truly means. That two-step conversation helps students understand both the image and the intended message.
Worksheet Features
The worksheet includes eight short examples that mix literal statements with several types of figurative language. Every item includes space for a classification and a written explanation. The variety prevents students from simply looking for one familiar clue, such as the word “like.” This page works well for figurative language review, close reading, homework, or a quick assessment.