The meaning of a word, in a broad sense, covers much more than just a concise definition like the one you might find in a dictionary. In our mind, a word can be related to many different types of information, e.g.:

• images
• sounds
• metaphors
• other words it is typically related to
o parts
o characteristics
o types of persons
o actions, etc.
• the way it is used and in which situations or contexts it is used
• positive or negative evaluation

Take, for example, the words 'sea' or 'church' and try to explore what they mean to you in this extended sense.