Words That Are Nearly the Same

A thesaurus will lie to you if you let it.

Name Date
DIRECTIONS: Number each ladder 1 to 4, from kindest to unkindest.
Connotation: what a word carries on top of its meaning. Determined or pushy?
Words for not fat
slimskinnyscrawnythin
Words for sure of yourself
self-assuredarrogantcockyconfident
Words for wanting things
pushyruthlessdeterminedambitious
Words for not spending much
thriftymeancarefultight

Words That Are Nearly the Same

Now use them.

  1. explain
    Take any one ladder. Describe the SAME person twice in one sentence each — once with the kindest word and once with the unkindest. Do not change anything else.
  2. explain
    You have just made one person sound like two different people without saying anything untrue. How did you do that?
  3. apply
    A newspaper wants readers to dislike somebody. Which end of these ladders will it pick from? Give an example you have actually seen or heard.
  4. apply
    When you are writing about yourself — in a letter, or an application — which end do you pick? Is that dishonest? Say what you think.

One Word, Two Meanings

Homographs: spelled the same, and completely unrelated.

DIRECTIONS: Write a sentence for each meaning that shows which one you mean.
WordOne meaningThe other
barkthe noise a dog makesthe outside of a tree
bata thing you hit a ball withan animal that flies at night
leftthe opposite of rightwent away
fairreasonable and even-handeda place with rides and stalls
  1. bark — first meaning
  2. bark — second meaning
  3. bat — first meaning
  4. bat — second meaning
  5. left — first meaning
  6. left — second meaning
  7. fair — first meaning
  8. fair — second meaning