Shades of Meaning: Word Ladders

Can you tell the difference between cool, cold, and freezing? Practice ranking words by intensity in this shades of meaning worksheet! In each of these eight questions, learners will be presented with a word ladder that has two of the three words filled out. Students will need to choose which word of three options would best complete the ladder so that the weakest word is at the bottom and the strongest is at the top. 

This worksheet encourages second and third graders to enhance their vocabulary and think critically about their word choices. Students will need to think about similar words in relation to each other and reason out the differences between sets of words. These word ladders can strengthen students’ word comprehension, writing, and communication skills. 

Keep learning about shades of meaning and connotation in Shades of Meaning: Matching and Shades of Meaning: Word Strength.