There are many words in English that have multiple meanings. In today’s English lesson with your new English teacher Alisha, you will learn about such dual meaning words which are very common in English conversation, yes, you often use them regularly in your spoken English. They are called Homonyms. Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings. This collection of 10 simple homonyms will help you to understand the various ways these words can be used appropriately in spoken English. Improve your English speaking with our free ESL lessons to speak fluent English confidently.
A study of homonyms will enhance the capability of a learner to both speak as well as interpret English in a better manner. Let us look at the 10 very simple and basic examples:
1.Bank: Is a place where we deposit our cash/jewellery etc
Sentence: I will go to the bank today.
The other meaning of the word bank is trust.
Sentence: I can bank on you.
2.Book: Book can be a storybook or a recipe book or a book that we read in school or colleges
Sentence: This is my favourite storybook.
The word book is also used to express reservations, such as :
Sentence: I have booked two movie tickets today.
3.Can: Can is a word used to express the capability of a person to do something
Sentence: I can sing OR I can dance.
the word Can is also referred to as a container to contain liquids.
Sentence: This can of oil is very heavy.
4.Lie: Lie is a word that most popularly means to refrain from the truth
Sentence: Do not lie to me.
This word also means to relax
Sentence: I want to lie down now because I am very tired.
5.Light: This word not only means light however it also means the opposite of heavy i.e something which is easy to carry or hold
Sentence: It is very dark here, please switch the light on for me.
Sentence: My school bag is very light.
6.Like: This word is primarily used to express affinity
Sentence: I like to eat pizzas.
The other use of this word is to express the similarity between things.
Sentence: He dances like a movie star.
- Kind: The first meaning of this word is someone who is compassionate.
Sentence: My mother is very kind.
The other meaning can be to express the various kinds of items/objects.
Sentence: There are various kinds of pizzas available in the market.
8.Fair: this word means someone who is of a lighter complexion.
Sentence: This girl is very fair.
The other meaning of this word is to be just right.
Sentence: The honourable Judge made a fair judgement.
9.Lose/Loose: This is a tricky one because a lot of them make a mistake.
Lose: this word is used when we lose something or misplace something,
Sentence:. Do not lose your book.
And the word Loose is used when something does not fit well.
Sentence: This shirt is very loose.
10.Will: Will is used very often in simple sentences to express desire.
Sentence: I will go to watch a movie today.
The other meaning of this word is a legal document that talks about inheritance.
Sentence: This is my grandfather’s will.
Do practice the above homonyms in different sentences and enhance your ability to speak English fluently.
Complete Lesson Transcript –
Hi friends, welcome to yet another lesson for Let’s Talk. So what are we gonna talk about today? Well, today I’m gonna share with you some very simple and unique words in English. Why are they unique? They’re unique because these words are the simplest words that one can come across and they have the same spelling and the very same pronunciation. However, they are used differently meaning, they have different meanings. Therefore these words are called homonyms. Homo meaning same and nyms meaning name. Therefore these words are called homonyms. Now talking about names, did I tell you what my name is? You’re wondering? Don’t wonder anymore. My name is Alisha and I’m your new trainer on Let’s Talk. So without further ado, let me share with you what homonyms are and I’m gonna start with an example. So for instance, let’s take a word, book. What are the different meanings of this word? Yes, I know that book is something that we read. It can be a storybook or a book from college. A book that you used to read in school. Clearly, book is one of the easiest words and we know what it means. However, friends, do you know, the word book is also used when you reserve something. Just as, I booked the tickets for my favourite movie show. So here, the word book is used to express something that you have reserved for yourself. Easy? Okay, let me share with you 10 additional examples which are simple and after every word, I’m gonna put in into sentences with both meanings of the word.
Alright, so the first word that I have for you is bank. B-a-n-k, now what is a bank used for? Well, a bank is a place where we all keep our cash, our riches, our jewellery, important papers. Yes, you are right a bank is an institution where we have savings account, checking accounts, etc. however, do you know that the word, bank is also used to express trust? So let me make sentences for you and share with you, the meaning of this word. So, we’ll use the word bank is two different kind of sentences. The first one is, I have to go to the bank to make a withdrawal, which means you need to go to the bank today to make a withdrawal and the other word, the other meaning rather, is to trust. So you can bank on Let’s Talk to teach you English, which means you can trust us to teach you English.
Okay, so we have the next word which is can. C-a-n, can, can is used to express capabilities. For example, I can sing or I can dance. I can jump and hey you know what, I can cook too. So can is a very simple word and we use to express it to tell others what we can do or what we cannot do. However, the other meaning of can is a container. A container, how can that be? It is possible. Just as if you want to say, this can of oil is very heavy or this can of water is very heavy. So can is also used to express a container usually containing liquids, as simple as that. Are you done with the two sentences, friends? Because I’m gonna move to the next word which is very simple, l-i-e which means lie. Now lie, I know the first meaning that you understand of this word, is to refrain from the truth which is when you don’t say the truth. The other word can be to relax. So let me put this into sentences for you. So the first one, lie, don’t you lie to me and the second sentence that I have for you is, to relax. I’m gonna lie down because I’m very tired. Don’t you do that after a very, very long weekend? Sorry, a busy week.
Okay, now the next word is bear. Yes, you’re right the one meaning of the word is bear, the wild animal, bear, the wild animal and what is the other meaning? The other meaning can be to endure which is to put up with. So let me put this into sentences for you. Bear, the animal, I love to watch the bear at the zoo. So say, I went to a zoo and I loved watching the bear because he was cuddly although the wild and the other word can be, to endure which is to put up with. Let me give you a real-life example, I can’t bear the heat anymore which means it’s difficult for you to put up with the heat outside. Easy one? And very, very useful. The next one is, light, l-i-g-h-t. Yes, it’s light, the brightness and the one meaning of the word is of course light which is the brightness. The light that we have at home or in office or in college and the other one is something which is extremely easy to carry. Say for example, can you please switch the light on which means if it’s too dark, you would want someone to switch the light on for you and if something is very easy to carry, something is not heavy. The opposite of something which is heavy is light. My school bag is very light. Alright, so these sentences will tell you and will help you understand the various uses of this word, light.
Let’s move on to the next set. The next set is, like. Like is a word which again has two meanings. The first meaning can be, like meaning, when you are very fond of something such as I like to eat pizzas. For example, if you are very fond of pizzas then you’d say, I like to eat pizzas. Like also means when you’re doing something similar to someone. For example, you dance like a movie star which means someone is dancing like a movie star or you look like a movie star. If someone’s very good looking, you may want to tell that person, you look like a movie star. So the word, like again has two different meanings. Kind, yes, kind is a very simple word and it basically means someone who is very, very compassionate. Who is very kind. Let’s put it into sentences. Someone who is compassionate or understands others and kind also means various types. So, I’m gonna make two simple sentences for you. So say, for example, if I want to convey that my mother is very kind, I’d say my mother is very kind to me and the second meaning of the word is to describe the different types of things available. So I’d say, there are various kinds of sweets in the market.
So these sentences will explain to you, the various uses of the word, kind. Then, we come to a very simple word, fair. F-a-i-r, fair can mean someone who is of a lighter complexion. She is very fair. So the lady or the girl may be very fair and the other meaning of this word is someone who is just who knows how to do the right thing. The judgment was very fair.
Okay now this is another word which you can see is spelt is lose and I have also mentioned here, the other version of this word. Why? Because I see a lot of us making mistakes with this word and I’m very, very interested to share this with you. Now the first one is l-o-s-e. Lose basically is pronounced as lose. Lose meaning something that I have lost or I have misplaced and loose meaning something which doesn’t fit you well. So let me put these into sentences. Lose, don’t lose your wallet or don’t lose your pencil, don’t lose your patience. Loose, is related to fitting. So if I say that this shirt is very loose for me, that’s what it means. I know a lot of us make a mistake in this word whilst writing it because we add the extra o or we do not add the extra o at the right and appropriate time. So take note of that and the last one is bark. B-a-r-k, now we all know which animal barks. Barking is the sound that a dog makes. So we know that dogs bark and the other meaning of the bark is, of the word bark is an outer covering. For example, the spice cinnamon is basically an outer covering of a tree. So you know that regret is another word that you have which has again two meanings. One is the sound that dogs make and the other is the outer covering of a tree which we use as a spice. So I hope you like the compilation of these very basic words in English. although they are basic but they are unique because they have different meanings and do send in your feedback and till next time, keep on practising and keep learning with Let’s Talk, goodbye.