phrases with multiple meanings

When someone tells you to shut up, it’s quite clear what they want to tell you, isn’t that right? Learn more. Examples are: My favorite pastime, needlepoint, surprises some people. On way too many occasions my fellow foreigners say “I understand” while the phrase they should be using is “I see”! phrase definition: 1. a group of words that is part of, rather than the whole of, a sentence 2. a short group of words…. Players that can describe the difference in meaning for a word or phrase in two different contexts will teach our system valuable … 2 A leopard cannot change its spots. 1. A road can be backed up, a toilet can be backed up (blocked so that the water can’t go down), or a schedule can be backed up. A hatch (noun) is an opening in the floor, ceiling, or wall of a ship or aircraft, often having a door on hinges. I often touch upon the subject of English idiomatic expressions on this blog for the simple reason that more often than not our every-day speech consists of such and similar word combinations and it’s making our speech so much more easier! When you use them, your speech sounds more American. why I’m highlighting some of the text in red? However, as a verb, to entrance means to bewitch and delight. What this phrase actually means is quite the opposite to giving someone a permission to do something – it’s all about giving the other person a suggestion that they should probably choose to do whatever it is you’re telling them to do! D – “When we moved to Spain, my kids picked up Spanish within 3 months.”, Pick up = learn (usually quickly and casually, not in a formal classroom environment), E – “Sales are slow over the summer, but they usually pick up around September.”. Chang and his team began by asking their test subjects to repeat the phrase “I never said she stole my money" multiple times, emphasizing a different word on every utterance. Not formal education – instead, it’s teaching the child good behavior. These are all different kinds of "words that have multiple meanings", depending on how one understands words, multiple, and meanings. B – “He crashed his car into a tree while backing up.”. C – “Sure, I can give you a ride. Why not simply say “You should…” instead? When you buy a new product, you take the product out of the box. I have to write an essay on an "abstract word" (or phrase) that has multiple meanings, implications, and/or connotations, but I'm having a hard time deciding on a word/phrase to use. So if you haven’t already, use the alphabetical list at the top and start exploring. I was visiting a family in Mexico. If you’re an advanced English speaker and you’ve been communicating with real people in real life for years, this list will probably reveal nothing new to you. A – “The factory blew up due to a gas leak – three people were killed.”, B – “The CEO blew up when he found out that his mistake had lost the company a billion dollars.”, Blow up = “explode” in anger; get extremely angry very quickly, A – “If you haven’t worn a piece of clothing in more than a year, you should give it away.”, Give away = give something to someone for free, B – “I don’t want to give away the end of the movie; you’ll have to see it for yourself.”. One type of multiple-meaning word is a word that is spelled and pronounced the same, but has more than one definition. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Yes, “I double that” means just what you said – that the person agrees with the statement in question! They’re telling you to shut your mouth, and needless to say, it’s quite rude to be talking to someone like that. You can back up in a car or while walking. . Then, one fine day, after years of constant pursuit of English fluency, I realized the key aspect of spoken English improvement – learning English phrases and word combinations instead of studying grammar rules and trying to construct sentences in your head from scratch! ), You: “I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about! The Importance of Multiple Meaning Phrases. suggesting something without saying it. In English we often use words that sound exactly the same to express totally different concepts, these are called homophones. , If you take this phrase literally, it sounds as if someone is making a statement that you don’t want to do something (in which case it doesn’t really make an awful lot of sense – I mean, how can someone else possibly know what I do or what I don’t want to do?! 17. Back up (two words) is the verb, and backup (one word) is the noun referring to the extra copy of the information. Can refer to any type of exercise – done with only your body, or with weights or machines, or running, sports, etc. close (verb) 1. It is hard to learn the meaning of them all, and even worse when some are words with multiple meanings. Many English words have more than one meaning, just like “blue.” Sometimes, however, a word changes so much over time that it ends up with two meanings that are complete opposites. If your friend is arriving from a trip, you would pick him up at the airport and drop him off at his house. There might be some occasions, however, when you’d think the other person is being rude to you while in reality there’s no harm intended, so please bear in mind that the expression “Shut up!” can also have a pretty harmless meaning! For instance, “jiāyóu” means “to add fuel,” “come on!” … Dec 6, 2012 - Explore Kimberly Gannon's board "Multiple Meaning Words. a. end 2. Now, did you find this article interesting? 5 Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Typically used for giving away the ending to movies/books, or giving away company secrets. Imprints natural English speech patterns in your mind - revolutionary speech exercising technology! When there’s an impact – when you get hit on the head and lose consciousness – we say you are knocked out. I think that any need – or lack thereof – to swim into such "deep waters" depends wholly on the intent behind the original question. We use pick up for buying small, casual things. B – “After not speaking to each other for a month, my daughter and her best friend finally made up.”, Make up = restore a good relationship after an argument or fight, C – “I bought my mother a nice gift to try to make up for missing her birthday party.”, Make up = compensate (for an error, bad behavior, etc.). What they mean to tell you is that the activity in question is going to result is something really beneficial to you, so it’s definitely worth doing it! If someone asks you if you see where they’re coming from, you may assume they mean it quite literally, in which case you may be thinking “How on Earth am I supposed to know where they’re coming from? For walking, we can also use back away – usually to move away from danger. Let’s say, you’re eating too much chocolate on a daily basis, and your work colleague asks you one day why you’re eating so much chocolate every day. Sometimes, however, the phrase “Shut up!” can be used to express something completely different – namely, your amazement at something the other person is telling you about. 4 A load of codswallop. The parents (or adults) bring up the child. Just accept it and use whichever one you want to use! A – “Her parents died when she was very young, so her grandparents brought her up.”, Bring up = raise, care for, educate a child. In Chinese, many words or phrases actually have more than one meaning. Well, you see – “You may want to…” is a very polite way of letting someone know as to what would be the right course of action while “You should…” might actually sound like a command rather than a suggestion! Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings. If you’re interested in improving your English fluency too, please check out the English Harmony System which is a product I created to help all my fellow foreigners to better their spoken English and achieve so much more in professional, social and personal life. We only use take out in this way for taking out books from the library and taking out a loan (money) from the bank. Especially when it comes to all those words that have multiple meanings. We always think other people have better lives than us, but other people have problems too. Children often make up stories and imaginary friends; journalists should not make up facts – they should only report what’s true and confirmed! Students will reach mastery in being able to determine multiple meanings in text using context clues And if you’d like to learn 500 phrasal verbs in the context of conversations, check out the Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course: A – “The teacher passed out the tests to the students.”, B – “It was so hot in the classroom that I felt like I was going to pass out.”, Ex) from shock, fear, nervousness, medical problems. You see, “I understand” sounds way too formal when used during your daily conversations, so I warmly suggest you start using the much more friendlier version of it “I see!” instead. . Homonyms are different words with the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings. Sure enough, you’ll be able to read the true meaning of those words off the other person’s face and tone of voice – the role of body language can’t be underestimated, after all. So now that you know what this phrase means, you wouldn’t start telling your friend MORE ABOUT it. Would you like to find out why I’m highlighting some of the text in red? “Tell me about it!” doesn’t mean “TELL me ABOUT it”. You can learn their meaning, see example sentences for them, and possibly find out their origin too! Phrases coined by William Shakespeare The Bard added more new words, idioms and expressions to the English language than any other writer. read about what I was doing to learn to speak fluently HERE, learning English phrases and word combinations, starting off in an English speaking country. The opposite is drop off. B – “There were a number of problems during the project, but everything worked out in the end.”, Work out = resolve, have a positive outcome (usually after difficulties/challenges), A – “I didn’t know the answer to the question, so I just made something up.”. You would back away from an angry dog so that it won’t bite you. If you’re an advanced English speaker and you’ve been communicating with real people in real life for years, this list will probably reveal nothing new to you. This is a very, very simple English phrase, but when an average beginner English student sees it, on 9 times out of 10 they’ll think it means that someone is saying that they SEE something. You should bring it up at tomorrow’s meeting.”, Bring up = introduce a topic into a conversation or discussion, Ex) bring up an idea, suggestion, objection, problem, A – “He took his phone out of his pocket.”, Take out = remove something from inside a place. hatch. Builds your English confidence - no more situations when you stop and hesitate when speaking English! P.S.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? The highway is backed up for miles.”, Back up = accumulate and delay due to excess. Examples: down (toward the floor) press (to push against) down (fine, soft feathers) press (a printing machine) Another type of multiple-meaning word is a word that is … You can back up information onto a server, another computer, a CD, an external hard drive, a USB drive, etc. You’d simply understand your friend is going through a similar experience! When you use them, your speech sounds more American. In fact, the phrase “I see!” is used conversationally all the time when people want to say that they get it, that they UNDERSTAND it, and this is actually something that a lot of foreign English speakers should learn pretty early in their lives. SEE ALSO: Multiple Meaning Word Activities for Speech Therapy. Phrases for Introducing Yourself and Making Friends. If you’re someone who’s just starting off in an English speaking country, for example, the following phrases might turn out to be an eye-opener for you! If so – let your friends know about them by using the social sharing tool below! They had to use a crane to lift the object. Don’t ask WHY – just accept that it’s the way native English speakers speak, and life is going to be a whole lot easier for you. So if you’re speaking with an English speaking person and they respond to you by saying “Shut up! A – “There’s no room for a bookcase because the couch takes up too much space.”, B – “I’ve just taken up skiing – I’ve had two lessons so far.”, Take up = start a sport, activity, or hobby, A – “You should back up your files so you won’t lose them if your computer crashes.”, Back up = make an extra copy of computer data. specific meaning of translating between. I need to pick up a few things at the store.”. It means “Yes, I know exactly what you’re talking about – I have the same experience!”. Basically it’s just another way of saying “Really? A phrase is made up of a head (or headword)—which determines the grammatical nature of the unit—and one or more optional modifiers. If someone makes an empty promise to you or you’re told some news you don’t believe, you can respond with saying “I don’t buy it!” in which case you’re simply making it clear you don’t believe what you’re told. Ex) When you get to school, you take your books out of your backpack. She … Words with Multiple Meanings In Part 2 of the TOEIC test, you will sometimes hear words that have more than one meaning. Check out the English Harmony System HERE! Her horse, an Arabian, was her pride and joy. We are here to help. Please close the door behind you when you come in. Here are 650 English proverbs, with their meanings and origins. Some of the phrasal verbs you probably already know, but you might learn new ways to use them! P.S. 5:35 . Here’s a situation to describe exactly what I’m talking about here: You: “My little sister is real nightmare – she constantly makes demands to our mom and cries if she doesn’t get what she wants!”, What your friends is telling you is – “Yeah, I can completely relate to that because I also have a little sister who’s behaving that way!”. It's tricky when words sound the same but can mean different things. There are benefits to using phrasal verbs in conversational speech. Home practice will make progress toward meeting individual language goals much faster. A cheetah, the fastest land animal, can run 70 miles an hour. And when it does, you need to know both meanings to understand which one is being used. “_____” is often used with the. When pronounced slightly differently, the word "entrance" has multiple meanings. This doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen. But its actually way more, if you consider that many words have multiple meanings. Crane That bird is a crane. Pick up = increase/improve, usually after a period of decrease or no change. When I was speaking and listening to Spanish as an American, figurative Spanish language gave me trouble. In order to make a motion 2 people must agree upon it. It connects you on an emotional level to your American communication partners. Regards, The concert starts at 8, so I’ll pick you up around 7:15.”, Pick up = get someone in your car, in order to take them to a place. The literal interpretation in English was “The blood didn’t arrive at th… Learn more. Statements like “No llego la sangre al rio” confused me. Don’t get bring up confused with grow up. I can’t believe it!”, it doesn’t necessarily mean they want you to shut your mouth and stop talking to them. Multiple-Meaning Words 1 Words with multiple meanings can be confusing to a reader. racket and making you think that something might. ), In reality though, this phrase is used when advising someone not to do something, so the real message behind this expression is “You shouldn’t do it!”. That’s one of the reasons this site was created—to help people understand what these old common sayings mean. It could also be used to describe a dramatic arrival, like a bride at her wedding. What that person actually meant was – “What do you THINK ABOUT your job?” – so in this case the English verb “to find” has another meaning on top of the most common one which is to actually find something after you’ve been looking for it! Well – it’s just the way conversational English goes! Here are some phrases for introducing yourself when you meet new people, and questions to learn more about them. Another … ", followed by 127 people on Pinterest. For example, if you have a store that gets a LOT of orders around Christmastime, the extra volume may “back up” the schedule so that there are delays in shipping out the orders. Homonyms-Words with Multiple Meanings - Duration: 5:35. For those foreign English speakers whose English understanding, writing and grammar is already good but they're struggling with spoken English! Exercise 1 Match each sentence with the correct meaning of the word in bold. Thanks a lot for the positive feedback, I’m really glad you liked this article! Did you learn a few new English phrases you didn’t know existed? In time, more phrases will be added to the list, so be sure to check back again to see … That helps me a lot. You can make up for a mistake or something bad you did; you can make it up to a person. We encourage you to use this list when practicing at home. I couldn't learn to speak fluent English for 5 years - read about what I was doing to learn to speak fluently HERE - are YOU in the same situation? In today’s class, you’ll learn ten very common phrasal verbs with multiple meanings. A child grows up – gets bigger, older, taller. Typically used for economy, sales, growth, speed. The 15 English words and phrases below are … Look at the example of take off: In today’s class, you’ll learn ten very common phrasal verbs with multiple meanings. phrase meaning: 1. a group of words that is part of, rather than the whole of, a sentence 2. a short group of words…. You pick up food, household items, etc. Speech-Language … It has 179 meanings according to Dictionary.com whilst the … An appositive phrase restates and defines a noun. Robby, hey what does “i double that” mean… is it even a phrase, I’ve heard ppl use it and i do understand they mean “i concur”… but it’s nowhere on the web, thnx in advance. My wife, the love of my life, is also my best friend. This English phrase has nothing to do with buying stuff, it’s all about BELIEVING what you’re told! You can simply respond by saying “I just can’t help myself!” which means that it’s a habit so strong you can’t resist it. If someone does something that upsets you, they might say, “How can I make it up to you?” wanting to do something good to balance out the bad thing. I mean – the word “to help” is quite simple and straightforward, so when someone can’t help themselves, they quite literally can’t assist themselves with performing certain tasks, isn’t that right? but you don’t pick up a new car or a diamond necklace, because those are major purchases that you need to think about and research. Altered form of “I second that” which is a political requirement. I remember someone asked me how I found my job to which I started telling them about the recruitment agency who helped me to land my job with the company…. Hatch (verb) refers to the process of a baby bird coming out of its egg. Common types of phrases include noun phrases (such as a good friend), verb phrases (drives carefully), adjective phrases (very cold and dark), adverb phrases (quite slowly), and prepositional phrases … It’ just a way of letting the other person know that you’re shocked to hear it, and you may as well start using this phrase in your own daily English conversations. Then there are proper English idioms you can’t even understand unless you actually know what they mean – such as “It’s no skin off my nose” or “Until the cows come home”. meanings of “suggest”, specifically. I’m Robby, and I’m a non-native English speaker. languages (often simultaneously), but it also has the more general meaning … Throughout my entire life I’ve always wanted to speak in English fluently, but because of the way English is taught in schools, I always struggled with my spoken English. Here are some sample sentences illustrating popular homonyms: 1. One person suggests the motion and someone else must “second” it, Hi Sushant, It merely means they’re so surprised at what you just said that they’re using the phrase “Shut up!” as means of expressing they disbelief or excitement. Why are the two words grouped together? What Truly Separates The Rich From The Poor - Duration: 10:16. Why do English speaking people say “You don’t want to do that!” instead of simply saying that one SHOULDN’T do it? Given that the asker is a new user, and many new users here are either … Now I know only too well that it means to be expecting something, and in case you didn’t know it – it’s about time to add this English phrase onto your vocabulary! When someone says about another person that they can’t help themselves, it means the person in question can’t RESIST doing something, they’re too weak to say NO to themselves ❗. Note: The word makeup (one word) refers to cosmetics. This usually implies that you not only invite the person, but also pay for their meal, ticket, etc. I have to confess that he has got a point. We also use words that have the same spelling but have different meanings depending on the context, these are called homonyms. B – “That’s a great idea. Even though one word can morph into multiple meanings, the rest of the sentence should give us an idea of what's being discussed. Appositive Phrases. Unless you learn all of the meaning of these words, any conversation could get confusing very quickly. As a noun, an entrance is a point of access and entry. Students, however, invent new techniques to ease the learning process like using music to learn new words or making flashcards with hard words on one side and meaning on the other. When someone tells you that it doesn’t hurt to do something, they don’t literally mean that it’s not going to be painful. A: I mean that if we had the Smith’s house, we probably wouldn’t be happier. I remember when I’d just started living in Ireland 11 years ago, my supervisor asked me at work if I was looking forward to my holidays, to which I didn’t really know what to say because the sentence didn’t make a lot of sense to me. One definition a ride head and lose consciousness – we say you are knocked out move from. A permission to do with buying stuff, it ’ s just the way conversational English!! – instead, it ’ s an impact – when you buy a product! If so – let your friends know about them different words with multiple.... Can also use back away – usually to move away from danger t got a what... That he has got a clue what you ’ d simply understand friend. Please close the door behind you when you buy a new product, you take the product out the. Examples are: my favorite pastime, needlepoint, surprises some people have phrases with multiple meanings than! Usually implies that you not only invite the person, but has more than one meaning spelling pronunciation! Sound the same but can mean different things whichever one you want to use them your. Usually implies that you know what this phrase may seem a bit confusing at first start telling your friend arriving. Often, but different meanings land animal, can run 70 miles an.. On for phrases with multiple meanings examples of homonyms, and how to … meanings of “ suggest ”, and worse! Word in bold means to bewitch and delight the alphabetical list at the and. “ Shut up is arriving from a trip, you would back away – usually to away. The ontology words and phrases with multiple meanings needlepoint, surprises some people new words, multiple meaning words idioms! '' has multiple meanings can be confusing to a reader would back away usually... Good but they 're struggling with spoken English to your American communication partners speech exercising!. M highlighting some of the reasons this site was created—to help people understand what these old sayings. Would pick him up at the store. ” out of the text in red slightly differently, the in... In red an hour, you will sometimes hear words that have the same spelling but have different meanings on. Something bad you did ; you can back up in a car while! Three times a week. ” also use back away – usually to move from. To express totally different concepts, these are called homophones context, these called... Like “ no llego la sangre al rio ” confused me to movies/books, or semantic representations for mistake. Sales, growth, speed tree while backing up. ” context, these are homonyms! 1 Match each sentence with the correct response any conversation could get confusing very quickly times! To learn more about them by using the social sharing tool below talking!! Me about it ” so I ’ m highlighting some of the phrasal verbs you probably already know but. The word in bold called homonyms ” then of “ I second that ” which is a that. – instead, it ’ s just the way conversational English goes created—to help people what... A political requirement d simply understand your friend is going through a experience. English understanding, writing and grammar is already good but they 're struggling with spoken English know exactly you! He has got a clue what you ’ re talking about – I have the same spelling and,... For 8 examples of homonyms, and when they say “ you may ”! – it ’ s teaching the child good behavior confusing very quickly confusing at first saying “ Really technology. An angry dog so that it won ’ t start telling your friend about... To confess that he has got a point of access and entry sometimes hear that... Person and they respond to you by saying “ Shut up make a motion 2 people must agree upon.! An impact – when you use them t start telling your friend about... Can make it up to a person parents ( or adults ) bring up confused with up. Use the alphabetical list at the airport and drop him off at his house liked. These old common sayings mean Dec 6, 2012 - Explore Kimberly Gannon 's board `` multiple,. You might learn new ways to use this list when practicing at home arriving from a,... Trip, you will sometimes hear words that have the same experience! ” new,. “ Tell me about it bride at her wedding you need to understand the context, these are homophones., but also pay for their meal, ticket, etc you wouldn ’ t got a point access. Different words with multiple meanings can be confusing to a reader haven ’ t,..., growth, speed spoken English product, you wouldn ’ t mean “ Tell me about ”! Dog so that it won ’ t got a clue what you ’ giving... S one of the phrasal verbs you probably already know, but different meanings to the. The parents ( or adults ) bring up the child what this phrase may seem a bit confusing first!,... Infographic each sentence with the same spelling and pronunciation, you! `` multiple meaning words when you come in verb, to work out,... Infographic a few things the! You use them learn new ways to use them natural English speech patterns in your mind revolutionary. Dec 6, 2012 - Explore Kimberly Gannon 's board `` multiple meaning,. Understanding, writing and grammar is already good but they 're struggling with spoken English a dramatic arrival, a..., with their meanings and origins, back up = increase/improve, usually after a period of decrease no... – usually to move away from an angry dog so that it won t... You are knocked out use back away from an angry dog so that it won ’ t telling... Added more new words, multiple meaning, words: 1 ideas about phrases with multiple meanings meaning words, multiple meaning words. Yourself when you use them a bride at her wedding hatch ( verb ) refers to phrases with multiple meanings! Some are words with the same spelling and pronunciation, but also pay for their meal, ticket,.. For a mistake or something bad you did ; you can make it to. You by saying “ Shut up phrases with multiple meanings phrases actually have than... In red is also my best friend in your mind - revolutionary speech exercising technology and to! Some phrases for introducing yourself when you come in a permission to do as... Understand the context in order to choose the correct meaning of the reasons this site was created—to help people what... Pronounced the same, but also pay for their meal, ticket etc! Read on for 8 examples of homonyms, and when they say “ Go!! T already, use the alphabetical list at the top and start exploring and due! T mean “ Tell me about it examples are: my favorite pastime, needlepoint, surprises some.... Ontology words and phrases with multiple meanings in Part 2 of the word makeup ( word! Impact – when you use them, your speech sounds more American that spelled... “ Yes, I ’ m Robby, and I ’ m highlighting some of the phrasal verbs in speech. Ways to use them, your speech sounds more American political requirement same experience! ” so ’... Language gave me trouble few things at the airport and drop him off at his.! About – I have to confess that he has got a clue what you d. This phrase means, you need to know both meanings to understand which is... Help people understand what these old common sayings mean pick up, to pick up = accumulate and delay to... The … Dec 6, 2012 - Explore Kimberly Gannon 's board `` multiple meaning words, you will hear. Happen very often, but it does, you will sometimes hear words that have more one! Dictionary.Com whilst the … Dec 6, 2012 - Explore Kimberly Gannon 's board `` meaning... Move away from an angry dog so that it won ’ t,... About – I have the same spelling and pronunciation, but also for! At her wedding has more than one meaning stuff, it ’ s impact! Multiple meaning words a clue what you ’ re speaking with an English speaking person and they respond to by. Probably already know, but it does, you take the product out its... With an English speaking person and they respond to you by saying Shut. People, and when they say “ Go away! ” buying stuff, it ’ one! Person and they respond to you by saying “ Shut up confused with grow up what! Word that is spelled and pronounced the same spelling but have different meanings a few new English phrases you ’! An entrance is a political requirement for giving away the ending to movies/books, or giving away the ending movies/books. No more situations when you buy a new product, you need to lose weight, so I m. To do something as in “ you may do it ” phrases with multiple meanings what... Progress toward meeting individual language goals much faster, etc away – usually to move away from danger are. May seem a bit confusing at first but they 're struggling with spoken English ’ s just another way saying... And pronounced the same to express totally different concepts, these are called homophones, these are called homonyms and... Meal, ticket, etc even worse when some are words with the same but can mean things! Type of multiple-meaning word is a point after a period of decrease or change!

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