Vocabulary
English words with meanings and example sentences
Book can name a text or mean reserve. The sentence tells you which meaning fits.
Use the table to compare common meanings. Then practice word pairs and the links you hear between spoken words.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
book a room BUUK-uh-ROOM
The short answer
Check the whole sentence. Whether a word is a noun, verb or adjective gives a clue, but nearby words help you choose its meaning.
I need to book a hotel room tonight.
Why it works: Here book is a verb that means reserve.
4 more examples
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Planning a summer holiday
We should book our flight tickets early.
The word book acts as a verb here meaning reserve.
Not this:We should
make a bookfor our flight tickets early. What changes: People might think you want to write or bind a physical book. -
Talking about career plans
She wants to run a small coffee shop in town.
The word run means manage or operate a business.
Not this:She wants to
walka small coffee shop in town. What changes: Walk does not describe managing the shop, so it does not express the intended meaning. -
Working in an office
We should take a quick break before the next call.
Here break is a countable noun meaning a short rest.
Not this:We should
do a quick breakbefore the next call. What changes: Do a break is not the usual phrase for a short rest. Take a break and have a break are common. -
Borrowing cash between friends
Can you lend me five pounds until tomorrow?
The verb lend means to give money or an item temporarily.
Not this:Can you
borrowme five pounds until tomorrow? What changes: The listener will be confused about who is giving and who is receiving the money.
Quick check
What does book mean in this sentence?
A person planning a weekend trip
We need to book seats for Saturday.
Answer: Reserve a seat in advance
Show the answer
Answer: Reserve a seat in advance
Book means reserve here. The seats and the future date help you choose this meaning.
Read the full guide
An invitation asks you to book a table for dinner. Book here means reserve; it does not refer to reading. The table below shows other everyday words with more than one use. Compare each meaning with its example before you choose a definition.
Words with more than one meaning
The problem: I look up a word and see five different meanings, but I cannot tell which one matches my sentence.
A dictionary entry may list several meanings. Start with the whole phrase, then check the label: noun, verb or adjective. Run is a verb in both examples below, but it has two meanings. Nearby words show whether someone is moving or managing a business.
| Word and part of speech | Plain meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| book (verb) | Reserve in advance | You can book your train ticket online. |
| book (noun) | A text to read, in print or on a screen | You can read your book on the train. |
| run (verb) | Move fast on foot | You run five miles every morning. |
| run (verb) | Manage or control | You run a small coffee shop in town. |
| light (noun) | A lamp or the brightness it gives | You turn on your desk light to study. |
| light (adjective) | Not heavy | Your travel bag is light enough to carry. |
| bill (noun) | A statement showing money owed | You ask the waiter for your dinner bill. |
| fair (adjective) | Reasonable and just | Your teacher gave you a fair grade. |
| fair (noun) | A public event with stalls, displays or rides | We bought a scarf at the craft fair. |
| fine (adjective) | Good or acceptable | Your work looks fine to me. |
| fine (noun) | Money paid as a penalty | He paid a fine for parking in a bus lane. |
| flat (noun, mainly British) | A home within a larger building | You rent a quiet flat near your office. |
| flat (adjective) | Level, without a slope | The road is flat for the next mile. |
| kind (noun) | Type or sort | What kind of project do you want to start? |
| kind (adjective) | Caring and helpful | Your neighbour is always kind to you. |
| match (noun) | A sports game | You watch the football match on your phone. |
| match (verb) | Be the same or go well together | Your dark shoes match your trousers. |
| point (noun) | An idea or argument | You make a clear point in your email. |
| sound (verb) | Seem from what is heard or said | Your travel plan sounds great to me. |
| sound (noun) | Something you can hear | You hear a strange sound outside your door. |
| break (noun) | A short pause from an activity | You take a ten-minute break after your meeting. |
| clear (adjective) | Easy to understand | Your directions are clear and simple to follow. |
Your turn
What does runs mean in this sentence?
Reading about a local business owner
Rosa runs a small bakery near the station.
Answer: Manage a business
Show the answer
Answer: Manage a business
Runs a bakery means manages the business. Both this use of run and running on foot are verbs.
Listen for sound links
The problem: In fast speech, words I know can sound joined together, and I miss where one ends and the next starts.
Words can run together in speech, so you may miss where one ends and the next starts. A final consonant can link to a vowel at the start of the next word. The words keep their meanings and spelling even when they sound joined.
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Can you pick it up?
Why it works: In smooth speech, pick, it and up can link with no clear pauses between them.
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I want to book a room.
Why it works: The final k sound in book can join the weak vowel in a; room often has the strongest beat.
Your turn
Which two-letter word replaces the name of one thing?
Answer: Can you pick it up from the floor?
Show the answer
Answer: it
It refers to one thing. In smooth speech, the final k sound of pick can link to its first vowel.
Words that naturally go together
The problem: I know each word, but I choose a verb that does not fit the phrase.
English uses make a decision and do homework. Learn these collocations (common word combinations) with their meanings. A noun can have more than one partner: reach a decision is also natural.
Make a decision means choose after thinking about the options.
You need to make a decision today.
Do a decision is not the usual phrase for making a choice.
You need to do a decision today.
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Not this:
Can you do a photo of us?Say: Can you take a photo of us?
When asking someone to use a camera, take a photo is the usual phrase.
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Not this:
He made his homework before dinner.Say: He did his homework before dinner.
When you mean complete an assignment, use do homework. School nouns do not all take the same verb.
Your turn
Which sentence uses the natural English verb pairing?
Discussing project plans with your team
Answer: We need to make a decision before Friday.
Show the answer
Answer: We need to make a decision before Friday.
Of these options, make a decision is the natural phrase for making a choice.
Words you can mix up
The problem: I confuse who gives and receives, or mix up similar spellings such as lose and loose.
Borrow and lend describe the same exchange from different sides. Check who receives the item and who gives it. Both uses involve an intention to return what was borrowed.
Someone lets you use their item for a time, and you plan to return it.
Can I borrow your pen for a minute?
The person lending provides the item and expects it back later.
Can you lend me your pen for a minute?
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Not this:
Do not loose your door key.Say: Do not lose your door key.
Here lose means misplace. Loose usually describes something that is not tight or firmly fixed.
Advice is a noun for guidance; advise is the verb for giving it. The phrase lend someone a hand has a different use: it means help someone.
Your turn
Which question correctly asks someone to give you their pen temporarily?
Needing a spare pen during a training session
Answer: Can you lend me your pen for a second?
Show the answer
Answer: Can you lend me your pen for a second?
Lend means to give something temporarily, while borrow means to receive it.
Before you go
Question 1 of 3
Arrange the words to make a natural spoken sentence.
Answer: I need to take a break
Show the answer
Answer: I need to take a break
Take a break is the natural English combination for resting.
Question 2 of 3
What does clear mean in this sentence?
A teacher explaining a classroom task
The teacher gave a clear explanation.
Answer: Easy to understand
Show the answer
Answer: Easy to understand
A clear explanation is easy to understand. The word describes how well the teacher explained the task.
Remember this
Check the whole phrase before choosing a meaning. Keep a word with an example and a common partner, such as take a break.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English words with meanings and example sentences"
Why can the same English word have different meanings?
A word can have several senses, or meanings. Its word class may change, as with book used as a noun or verb. The same word class can also have more than one sense. Run is a verb in both examples below, but one refers to movement and the other to managing a business.
They run beside the canal on Sundays.
Maya and her brother run a small repair shop.
Can I choose a meaning just by looking at the word before it?
No. Nearby words give clues, but read the whole phrase. A word after a or the can be an adjective, as in a light coat. A word after to is not always a verb. Compare the meaning and the dictionary's noun, verb or adjective label.
This is a light coat for spring.
We took the bus to school.
How can I remember which words go together?
Learn a word with a common partner and a short example. Use do homework for completing an assignment, and make a decision for choosing. These combinations are called collocations. They do not mean a noun has only one possible partner: reach a decision is also natural.
Jo did her homework while her dinner was in the oven.
We reached a decision after comparing the two routes.
How do I choose between 'borrow' and 'lend'?
Borrow describes receiving something to use for a time; lend describes giving it with the expectation of a return. Check the subject: the borrower receives, and the lender gives. You borrow something from someone, or lend something to someone.
I borrowed a folding chair from my cousin.
My cousin lent a folding chair to me.
Does 'flat' mean the same thing as 'apartment'?
When flat is a noun for a home, it usually corresponds to apartment. Flat is common in British English, and apartment is usual in American English. Flat can also be an adjective meaning level. Use the surrounding words to decide whether it names a home or describes a surface.
Leena rents a flat above a bakery.
Put the tray on a flat surface.