12 FREE Figurative Language Posters

Check out our 12 FREE Figurative Language Posters! Hang them on the wall to remind learners of the terms and their meanings.

You might also like our Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt with free cards.

*Snag these posters by scrolling to the bottom of this post. Then, click on the teal download button.

What is Figurative Language?

Figurative language is using words and expressions in a way that cannot be taken literally or that appeal to one or more of the five senses. There are more in the free printable pack, which can be found at the END of this post, but some common examples of figurative language include:

• simile – He is as big as a truck. OR He is big, like a truck. {compares two objects using like or as}
• metaphor– He is a truck! {compares two objects without using like or as}
• personification– The sand tickled my toes.
• idioms– It’s raining cats and dogs. OR You have to hold your mouth just right.

Many times, learners with autism, learners who are deaf, or struggling learners in general have a difficult time deciphering figurative language.

I’ll never forget telling my son when he was younger, “Wait just a minute,” to have him start counting.

Yes, he really did. And he wasn’t being a smart aleck. He literally thought I wanted him to wait one minute, so he was counting to 60.

Figurative Language Posters

Included in the pack are TWELVE terms in poster style {color and blackline} for:

1. simile
2. metaphor
3. idiom
4. onomatopoeia
5. personification
6. hyperbole
7. pun
8. oxymoron
9. alliteration
10. assonance
11. verbal irony
12. sarcasm – this one is a repeat of #11, but is called “sarcasm” instead of “verbal irony”‘

Similar to our free Homophone Posters, each poster contains a term, the definition, and an example with a picture.

Instruction in teaching figurative language doesn’t begin and end with posters though. Explicit teaching is necessary for learners to comprehend this language in their reading as well and use it in their own writing.

One simple way to teach and model is to pull out figurative language in the texts you read aloud. There are some fantastic books that include this language as well as teach it in creative ways. You can find my book list here or by click on the image below. Another fun and no prep activity is to do a figurative language text hunt with the books you read.

Download the free posters below:

Enjoy teaching!
~Becky