Year 8 English — Vocabulary in context
Work out what an unfamiliar word means from the sentence around it.
Name: ________________________
1.Sort each word by the feeling it carries.
Groups: Describes something pleasant · Describes something unpleasant
- cruel
- generous
- cheerful
- delightful
- dreadful
- gloomy
2."The instructions were ambiguous, so half the class did the wrong task." What does "ambiguous" mean?
- a) very clear
- b) open to more than one meaning
- c) spoken loudly
- d) written down
3."She was hesitant at first, but soon joined the game happily." What does "hesitant" mean?
- a) slow to act because unsure
- b) very loud
- c) quick to act
- d) very skilled
4."The path was so narrow that we had to walk in single file." What does "narrow" mean here?
- a) muddy
- b) wide
- c) not wide
- d) steep
5."The monsoon brought a deluge that flooded the fields for weeks." A deluge is ____.
- a) a strong wind
- b) a light shower
- c) a great flood of water
- d) a long dry spell
6."The scarcity of water forced the village to dig a new well." What does "scarcity" mean?
- a) plenty
- b) quality
- c) sweetness
- d) shortage
7."The room was immaculate — not a speck of dust anywhere." What does "immaculate" mean?
- a) very large
- b) perfectly clean
- c) newly built
- d) very dark
8."The judge was impartial and favoured neither side." Which single word in that sentence means "fair to both sides"?
Answer key — Year 8 English — Vocabulary in context
- 1. delightful → Describes something pleasant; dreadful → Describes something unpleasant; cheerful → Describes something pleasant; gloomy → Describes something unpleasant; generous → Describes something pleasant; cruel → Describes something unpleasant
- 2. b) open to more than one meaning
- 3. a) slow to act because unsure
- 4. c) not wide
- 5. c) a great flood of water
- 6. d) shortage
- 7. b) perfectly clean
- 8. impartial