Homonyms, or multiple-meaning words, are words that have the same spelling and usually sound alike, but have different meanings (e.g. dog bark, tree bark).
Simply so Why is tear and tear spelled the same? Heteronyms are a type of homograph, which is a word that is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning. … Related words are tears, teared, tearing, The word tear is derived from the Old English word, tear. Advertisement. To tear (tare) means to rend something into pieces, to rip apart, to make a hole.
What words have 3 meanings? 10 English Words with More than One Meaning
- Mine.
- Interest.
- Date.
- Engage.
- Leave.
- Novel.
- Park.
- Play.
also What words have the most meanings? According to Guinness World Records, the word that has the most meanings in the English language is the verb “set.” “Set” has 430 senses listed in the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, which was published in 1989.
What words are spelled the same but sound different?
Homophones are a type of homonym that also sound alike and have different meanings, but have different spellings. HOMOGRAPHS are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Heteronyms are a type of homograph that are also spelled the same and have different meanings, but sound different.
What does Tair mean? TAIR
| Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
| TAIR | The Arabidopsis Information Resource |
| TAIR | Test Assembly Inspection Record (US NASA) |
| TAIR | Texas Association for the Improvement of Reading (est. 1947) |
| TAIR | Total Army Involvement in Recruiting |
How do we spell 10?
Spelling Numbers
| Cardinal number | Ordinal number | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | eight | eighth |
| 9 | nine | ninth |
| 10 | ten | tenth |
| 11 | eleven | eleventh |
What is Tearup? Definition of tear up
transitive verb. 1 : to damage, remove, or effect an opening in tore up the street to lay a new water main. 2 : to perform or compete with great success on, in, or against couples tearing up the dance floor a batter who’s tearing up the league.
What words have 4 meanings?
Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings.
…
There are many examples of homonyms.
- arm. I have an ant bite on my arm. …
- bark. I hope her dog doesn’t bark when I knock on the door. …
- clip. …
- crane. …
- date. …
- dough. …
- drop. …
- engaged.
What 3 letter word has the most meanings? So Far One three-letter word does much of the heavy lifting in the English language. The little word “run” — in its verb form alone — has 645 distinct meanings.
What is the most polysemous word?
form. The most polysemous word in the OED is set.
What word has the most E’s in it? Ethylenediaminetetraacetate has 7 e’s. It is a crystalline acid with formula C10H16N2O8 and is used as an antidote to metal poisoning, is an anticoagulant, and is used in the manufacture of certain industrial reagents.
What is the least used English word?
alsike (n., a clover native to Europe) chersonese (n., a peninsula) cacomistle (n., a carnivorous, raccoon-like animal) yogh (n., Middle English letter, used to represent the “y” sound)
What words are spelled backwards and forwards?
The most familiar palindromes in English are character-unit palindromes. The characters read the same backward as forward. Some examples of palindromic words are redivider, deified, civic, radar, level, rotor, kayak, reviver, racecar, madam, and refer.
What is an example of a Heteronym? For example, “row” (use oars) and “row” (argument) are heteronyms because they employ different sounds, while “mean” (signify) and “mean” (average) are not heteronyms because they are pronounced the same (these are called homonyms). Most heteronyms come in pairs.
What is a RAIT? rait. RAIT (Redundant Arrays of Independent Tape) are the tape drive equivalent of RAID (Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks) for disk drives. RAIT is sometimes called “tape RAID”.
How do you write No 1 or No 1?
How do I spell 1000? If you have saved 1000 dollars, then you can write, “I have just saved One Thousand dollars.” One Thousand is the cardinal number word of 1000 which denotes a quantity.
…
Problem Statements:
| How to Write 1000 in Words? | One Thousand |
|---|---|
| Is 1000 an Odd Number? | No |
What is 0 called?
“Zero” is the usual name for the number 0 in English. In British English “nought” is also used. In American English “naught” is used occasionally for zero, but (as with British English) “naught” is more often used as an archaic word for nothing. … In certain contexts, zero and nothing are interchangeable, as is “null”.
What is teardown? 1a : to cause to decompose or disintegrate. b : vilify, denigrate trying to tear down his reputation. 2 : to take apart : disassemble tear down an engine. Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About teardown.
Is tear up cry?
to get tears in your eyes, so that you almost start to cry, because you are experiencing strong emotion: She teared up as the award was presented to her.
Is tearing crying? 2 tears plural : an act of crying I burst into tears. … 2 : to wound or injure by or as if by tearing : lacerate Use an ointment where you tore the skin.
Asked
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7 Answers
answered Jun 9, 2011 at 1:43
Kit Z. Fox♦Kit Z. Fox
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2
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+1. This seems to be the clearest term for what the questioner requests — it doesn’t have the extraneous connotations that some others have (humour in the case of pun, deliberate deceit or evasiveness in the case of equivocation), and it also covers all examples, unlike homonym, homophone, etc., which are each rather more restrictive.
Jun 9, 2011 at 3:40
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Actually, we may need something like bi-/disemous or ambisimous.
Oct 14, 2012 at 14:43
A pun:
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.
Wikipedia
Perhaps more specifically a homonymic pun, which relies on words that are both homographs (same spelling, different meaning) and homophones (sound alike), e.g., «Being in politics is just like playing golf:
. . . you are trapped in one bad lie after another.»
answered Jun 9, 2011 at 1:29
CallithumpianCallithumpian
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3
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+1 Paronomasia is exactly the pun-itive measure I had in mind.
Jun 9, 2011 at 2:14
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Pun seems to imply humorous plays on words. Is there a word extending to all?
Jun 9, 2011 at 3:09
Equivocation could work.
Equivocation is classified as both a formal and informal logical fallacy. It is the misleading use of a term with more than one meaning or sense (by glossing over which meaning is intended at a particular time). It generally occurs with polysemic words.
Wikipedia
answered Jun 9, 2011 at 1:41
NRafNRaf
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Are you looking for :
Equivocation
There is also:
Double Entendre
answered Jun 9, 2011 at 1:59
ThursagenThursagen
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0
ambiguity (or ambiguous) and its associated figure of speech amphiboly capture the «multiple meanings at once». Both can apply to a single word or to an entire phrase or sentence.
answered Jun 9, 2011 at 17:38
MitchMitch
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1
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I think this is the best, because it is not confined to words. A sentence might be ambiguous despite none of its words being so. For example, The boy saw the man with the telescope can mean either that the man had the telescope, and the boy saw him; alternatively, it can mean that the boy, by means of the telescope, saw the man. Both meanings arise from the same set of words, without changing the meanings of the words. It is how the words combine which determines which meaning ultimately arises.
Jun 10, 2011 at 1:05
Bisemous.
It really means «with two meanings».
RegDwigнt
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answered Oct 14, 2012 at 14:45
KrisKris
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0
you do it ostensibly
«So maybe there’s a legal convention
concerning how definitions such as
this are to be
circumscribed/overridden/whatever by
the common English meaning however
vague by comparison of the term
ostensibly being defined?» — The
Volokh Conspiracy » Hate Crimes and
Double Jeopardy:
I just realized that if your word has at least two meanings at the same time that you might be referring to something ironic
–adjective Both coincidental and contradictory in a humorous or poignant and extremely improbable way.It is ironic that Einstein, who was
such a revolutionary young man, was
reduced to irrational denial of
quantum mechanics in his later years.
answered Jun 9, 2011 at 3:41
6
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Is this a joke? If not, “ostensibly” here means as much as “allegedly”. As in, “it’s claimed that this term … is being defined (but it really isn’t)”.
Jun 9, 2011 at 10:45
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@Konrad the question was «How could one put, in a single word, language that has multiple meanings at once?» How would you do it? I’d do it … ostensibly
Jun 9, 2011 at 11:58
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@pageman: ‘ostensibly’ does imply that there is an alternative meaning, but it is primarily about the situation rather than the word or language.
Jun 9, 2011 at 17:34
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@Mitch the question was how «does one» do it, right?
Jun 10, 2011 at 15:34
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@pageman: that is a subtle reading of the intention of the OP that the OP probably didn’t intend. ‘Ostensible’ is about a surface meaning, but on reflection there is another meaning (It is not about the process of -inducing- the multiple meanings , the act of constructing the utterance with more than one meaning (which is what I think you’re getting at). In that case it would be prevaricating, equivocating, or dissembling, with the added connotation of ‘with the intent to deceive’ (which ‘ostensible’ doesn’t have).
Jun 10, 2011 at 16:25
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Once upon a time, there was a fair boy at the fair, and he was really fair!
There was also a bat flying around a bat, a friend of mine in a mine and a man with a bow bowing to an audience.
Welcome to the Polysemy (when a single word or phrase has multiple meanings) Fair where nothing is what it seems, and words get crazy different meanings just for the sake of fun.
But before you come in, you have to tell me what homophones, homographs and homonyms are.
If you do not know what they are (or even if you do!), you had better read this post before you enter the Fair unprepared and get lost forever!
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
What Are Homophones, Homographs and Homonyms?
They may sound dangerous and creepy, but homophones, homographs and homonyms are part of our daily life, regardless of what your mother language is.
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings.
When you say “I have only one eye,” however weird that sentence might sound, the words I and eye sound exactly the same, but they obviously have different meanings.
The same happens with words such as break and brake, here and hear or hour and our, just to give you a few examples.
On the other hand, homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations.
Take the verb read as an example.
The infinitive is pronounced /ri:d/ (with a long i), but the past tense and the past participle are pronounced /red/, as in the color red. They are written in the exact same way, but their pronunciations are different.
Finally, we have homonyms. They are words that either sound or are spelled identically but have different meanings.
Homonyms can be homophones, homographs or both, so to make things easy for you, we will be calling this post’s words homonyms unless stated otherwise.
Every language has homonyms, and language learners tend to have a rough time when trying to learn them.
Let’s have a look at the title of this post: The fair boy at the fair is really fair.
If it is the first time you have seen the word fair, you are probably having a language heart attack right now.
If you have seen this word before, though, you most likely know its meaning as a noun (funfair, carnival). But what about the other two? Keep reading!
There are several methods to learn the different meanings of words. You can look them up (search) in a dictionary, check an online translator or even ask a friend if they are around and able to help you.
From Fairs to Novels: 21 Everyday English Words with Multiple Meanings
The following 21 words are common English words that have different meanings and/or pronunciations. They can be a little tricky sometimes, but thanks to this post, you will be able to master them in no time. So, let the fun begin!
1. Fair
As you have already seen in the introduction, this word can have different meanings depending on whether it is a noun or an adjective. You know its meaning as a noun, and you probably also know one of its meanings as an adjective, but I am sure you would have never thought a carnival and a hair/skin color were spelled the same in English.
Meaning #1: a carnival; a public event where there are games, competitions, rides and entertainment
Also, in the United States, a fair is an event where farm products and animals are shown and judged.
The boy showed his horse and his two pigs at the state fair.
Meaning #2: treating someone right or in a way that does not favor other people
The boy at the fair is very fair with his siblings when they play games together.
Meaning #3: having light skin and/or hair
The fair boy at the fair is very fair with his siblings.
Since her skin is so fair, she has to be careful when she goes in the sun.
2. Saw
You probably know this word as the past tense of the verb to see, but did you know it can also be a tool and the infinitive of another verb?
Saw comes from the Old English word saga (to cut), but also from the Middle English word sawen (knife), hence its different meanings nowadays.
Meaning #1: a device or tool with sharp teeth, typically made of metal
He used a saw to cut the branch of the tree.
Meaning #2: to saw, to cut with a saw
He is going to saw the tree down with a saw.
Meaning #3: past tense of the verb to see.
I saw the saw he used to saw the tree down.
3. Fell
Now this one’s tricky.
A lot of my beginner students think this is the past tense of to feel, but actually it is the past tense of the verb to fall. What not many non-native speakers know is that it can also be the infinitive form of a different verb, and also a formal adjective!
Meaning 1: past tense of the verb to fall
The girl fell on the floor and started crying.
Meaning #2: to fell, to knock or cut down, to cause to fall
He used an ax to fell the tree.
Meaning #3: (formal) fierce, cruel, savage
He was imprisoned by his fell enemy.
4. Found
This word is another example of the past tense of a verb that is also the infinitive of a different verb.
Meaning #1: past tense and past participle of the verb to find (to come upon by chance, to locate)
I found a lot of old books in the attic yesterday.
Meaning #2: to found, to set up or establish, to base on, to provide a basis for
We want to found a new translation company.
5. Bow
Bow is a word that can have several different meanings. It is a homograph because the pronunciation is slightly different between the noun and verb form. As a noun, for example, you can wear one around your neck or use one to attack someone. As a verb, you can use it to show respect.
Don’t you love English!
Meaning #1: to bow, to bend forward at the neck or waist in order to greet someone or show respect
We must all bow before the queen.
Meaning #2: a knot made by tying a ribbon into two or more loops, often referred to as bow tie
He is wearing a green bow tie.
Meaning #3: a weapon used for shooting arrows
The hunter had a bow and many arrows.
6. Crane
I still remember when I learned this word myself. I imagined a giant machine that transformed into a bird. I have never forgotten this word!
Meaning #1: a big machine with a long arm used by builders to lift or move big objects
I think we are going to need a crane to lift that statue.
Meaning #2: a tall bird that has a long neck and long legs; it lives near water
It is impossible to observe (see) a crane here. There is no water around.
7. Date
This is an easy one.
If you are a romantic person, this word will probably make you think of special occasions with a partner. If time is important for you, you will see a date as a day on a calendar. Both options are correct, but there is more!
Meaning #1: a specific day of a month or year
What is the date today?
Meaning #2: a situation where two people who have or want to have a romantic relationship do some activity together
I would love to go on a date with you.
Meaning #3: the person you go on a date with
Mary is my date for tonight.
Meaning #4: to date someone, to do some kind of activity with a person you have or want to have a romantic relationship with.
Mary and I are dating.
Meaning #5: to date something, to write the date on something
Please, do not forget to sign and date your exam.
8. Minute
Here we have a homograph. Minute is pronounced /minit/ when it refers to time. It can also refer to size, in which case it is pronounced /mai’niut/.
Meaning #1: a unit of time equal to 60 seconds
We have been waiting for 20 minutes.
Meaning #2: always in the plural (minutes), the official record of everything that is said and done during a meeting
Ms. Roche will be taking the minutes during the meeting.
Meaning #3: an adjective meaning tiny, very small
With this new device, we are able to see even the most minute particles.
9. Second
If you are interested in etymology (study of words), you will like this word!
Second has two main meanings, one referring to time and one referring to something or someone coming after first. I was surprised to find out both these meanings come from the same Latin word secundus (following, next in time or order).
Apart from being a noun, second can also be a verb.
In this case, the origin of the word is from the Latin word secundare (to assist, to make favorable).
Meaning #1: occupies the second position in a series, importance or rank
Soup is my second choice.
Meaning #2: (always plural) another serving of food taken after you have finished the first one
Do you want seconds?
Meaning #3: a unit of time equal to 1/60 of a minute
It took him 35 seconds to open the box.
Meaning #4: to second, to approve something, to agree with somebody
I am tired. Let’s go home.
I will second that.
10. Type
They say that everyone has a type, but what exactly does that mean?
You can type in different kinds of types, enjoy different types of food and have different types in reference to people. It all depends on the meaning of type you are referring to.
Meaning #1: a particular kind of thing or person
I do not like this type of food. It is too greasy.
Meaning #2: the kind of person someone likes
Bea is totally my type.
Meaning #3: the different kinds of printed letters
Please, do not use the italic type. Use bold.
Meaning #4: to type, to write with a typewriter or a computer keyboard
I can type 200 words per minute.
11. Nail
Every time I hear the word nail, I think about the program “Nailed it!,” which I really recommend you watch if you love cooking and comedy, and you want to listen to some American English to improve your language skills.
Meaning #1: a piece of metal that is sharp at one end and flat at the other, usually used to attach things to wood
I used the biggest nail I had to hang the picture frame.
Meaning #2: the hard covering at the end of our fingers and toes
Sarah gets her nails painted every Tuesday.
Meaning #3: to nail, to attach something with a nail
We need to nail those boards.
Meaning #4: (slang) to nail, to do something perfectly or in an impressive way
I nailed the final test. I am so proud of myself!
12. Bark
What do dogs and trees have in common? Dogs bark and trees have bark!
I find it very interesting that a tree’s bark and to bark come from different origin words.
The hard covering of plants probably comes from the Old Norse word börkr (bark, likely related to the word birch). The sound dogs make comes from the Old English word beorcan (to bark, to utter an abrupt, explosive cry).
Meaning #1: the outer covering of a tree
Some types of bark are very beautiful.
Meaning #2: the loud sound made by a dog
His dog gave a very loud bark.
Meaning #3: to bark (from a dog or a person), to make a short loud sound
If her dog does not stop barking, I will call the police.
Stop barking at me and try to calm down.
13. Mine
If I tell you I like to mine in this mine because it is mine, you may or may not understand what I am saying, but you will after you have a look at the following meanings of the word mine.
Meaning #1: that which belongs to me
I like to mine in this mine because it is mine.
The blue bike is mine.
Meaning #2: a tunnel from which minerals are taken
I like to mine in this mine because it is mine.
He works in a gold mine.
Meaning #3: to mine, to dig a mine or to take away from a mine
I like to mine in this mine because it is mine.
She likes to mine for crystals.
14. Season
Even though the two main meanings of the word season do not seem to be related, they have an almost common ancestor, and once you understand its origin, it totally makes sense.
Season comes from the Old French word seison (a period of the year, proper time).
To season comes from the Old French word assaisoner (to ripen, to improve the flavor of).
These two Old French words are related. When the time was right (seison), fruits and vegetables grew ripe (assaisoner), which made them more palatable (tasty). Neat!
Meaning #1: one of the four periods into which the year is divided; a particular period of time during the year.
My favorite season is winter.
It is flu season.
Meaning #2: to season, to add salt, pepper or other spices to give something more flavor
Season to taste and serve hot.
15. Bat
Did you know that Batman got his name from an animal? Have you ever seen Batman use a bat to bat someone? No, not the animal, the stick!
Notice how, similarly to nail with a nail, you can say to bat with a bat. Do you see a pattern already?
Meaning #1: a long rounded stick used to hit a ball
Mendoza gave me his baseball bat.
Meaning #2: to hit with a bat
I want to bat next.
Meaning #3: an animal with wings and a furry body
I am afraid of bats.
16. Row
The main meaning of this word is a line of people or things that are next to each other.
Additionally, row can also be a verb that means to move a boat through the water with the use of oars.
Meaning #1: a straight line of people or things that are next to each other; a row of seats (in a theater or stadium).
We are going to arrange the desks in five rows of six desks each.
Meaning #2: to row, to move a boat through water by using oars
I like to row my boat in the calm lake.
17. Water
I love looking at my students’ faces when I tell them that water can be a verb.
Indeed, as it happens with many words in English, nouns can be used as verbs. In this case, the noun water, which we all know, can be used to mean to pour water on something, as on a plant, for example.
Meaning #1: a clear liquid with no color, smell or taste that falls from clouds in the form of rain, forms seas and lakes and is used for drinking, bathing, washing, etc.
I love drinking water in the morning.
Meaning #2: to water, to pour water on something; to give an animal water to drink
Please, water my plants while I am in Spain.
18. Boot
Some of us know the verb to boot means to start a computer.
British people call the trunk of a car a boot, and Americans often use this word when talking about cowboy boots.
But there is more you can learn about this word.
Meaning #1: a covering for the foot normally made of leather or rubber
I cannot find my winter boots anywhere.
Meaning #2: the trunk of a car
They found the missing money in the boot of his car.
Meaning #3: to boot, to force to leave a place; to fire
They booted James yesterday!
Meaning #4: to boot, to lock a Denver boot onto the wheel of a car so that it cannot move.
The parking attendant booted my car.
19. Club
Club has several meanings, ranging from a group of people who participate in a specific activity to a place where you can listen to music, eat some food and drink alcohol.
Other meanings include a metal stick used in golf, a wooden stick used as a weapon and even a suit in a deck of cards! That is polysemy at its finest!
Meaning #1: a group of people who meet to participate in an activity
The chess club has 200 members already.
Meaning #2: the place where members of a club meet
I will meet you in front of the chess club at 7 p.m.
Meaning #3: a business that provides entertainment, music, food, drinks, etc.
They are opening a new dance club near your house next weekend.
Meaning #4: a metal stick used for hitting a golf ball
My daughter is using my golf clubs. Can I borrow yours?
Meaning #5: a heavy wooden stick that is used as a weapon
One of the attackers hit me with a club.
Meaning #6: (plural) one of the suits in a deck of playing cards
I got the ten of clubs.
Meaning #7: to club, to hit a person or an animal with a stick or object
He clubbed the poisonous snake in his bedroom.
20. Key
What if I told you that the main definition of the word key is just one of over a dozen?
Do not panic, I will not make you learn all the different meanings of key, but it would be awesome if you learned the main ones.
Meaning #1: a device you use to open a lock or start a car
I think I have lost my keys.
Meaning #2: something that is necessary to do or achieve something
The key to learning English is practicing every day.
Meaning #3: any of the buttons of a typewriter or computer
I love typing without looking at the keys.
Meaning #4: used as an adjective to mean extremely important
He is a key worker in our company.
Meaning #5: (informal) to key, to have the most important part in something
Marcus keyed the victory for the Eagles.
21. Novel
We normally think of books when we hear the word novel, but novel can also be used as an adjective to mean that something is new and different.
Meaning #1: a long written story, normally dealing with imaginary people and events
I have published five novels so far.
Meaning #2: new and different from what has been known before
His novel approach to the problem helped us find a solution.
Phew! There you have it, 21 everyday English words with multiple meanings!
My advice is that you learn all the different meanings of a word at once when you are acquiring (learning) new vocabulary (or expanding your word bank).
If a word is very polysemic, at least learn its main meanings. This will save you time when you come across that word again in the future.
As you have been able to see in this post, by learning just one of the meanings of a word you are leaving a lot of information behind. In order to avoid that, one of the best solutions is to spend a little more time with each word you learn.
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Many English words have multiple meanings. This means that the same word, with the same spelling and pronunciation may have more than one meaning. Sometimes the meanings may be very different. This can be confusing for people learning English. You may wonder,” How do I know what the meaning is?” The best way is rely on context, illustrations, or diagrams in the text. However, if you still are not sure of the meaning, look it up. A dictionary will tell you all the meanings of any word. This posting cannot discuss every word with multiple meanings. There are simply too many of them. In this posting, however, I talk about 25 common words with multiple meanings. These are word you may see and hear in your daily life. I show you parts of speech, definitions, and example sentences for each meaning of each word.The download at the end will give you additional practice understanding words with multiple meanings.
Here is the free English video lesson I taught on YouTube:
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You can download the practice sheet NOW!
Below is a list of common words with multiple meanings.
B
- bank
2. bark
3. bill
4. break
5. bug
C
6. charge
7. company
8. current
D-H
9. date
10. fair
11. fast
12. fly
13. hit
J-N
14. jam
15. left
16. mine
17. nail
P-R
18. patient
19. pool
20. pupil
21. run
S-T
22. season
23. set
24. take
25. turn
You now know many common English words with multiple meanings. Often you can guess the meaning of the word through context. If that is not helpful, however, don’t hesitate to look the word up. The download will give you additional practice understanding words with multiple meanings.
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Idioms of the day
- no picnic–This means something is difficult and not pleasant. I’m glad I moved, but making all the preparations was no picnic.
- turn a blind eye to–This means to not notice a very obvious problem. Her husband comes home drunk every night, but she turns a blind eye to his problems. She insists that he’s not an alcoholic.
Learning English can be fun. It can be daunting. It can be empowering. It can also be confusing, on occasion. But one thing it definitely isn’t is boring. Even the most fluent English speakers are often surprised when they discover something new about the language: a grammar rule brought to their attention for the first time, a word that they’d never come across before or, even more surprisingly, a familiar word used in an unexpected way! Yes, it is quite common for one English word to have two (or more) completely different meanings.
The way to tell these same-spelling, different-meaning words apart is to pay attention to the context in which they are being used. This will make much more sense when we see these words in action, so let’s look at some examples.
Here is a word that has more than one meaning:
Mine
- as a noun: a place underground from where minerals are extracted
Peter has been working at a coal mine since April. - as a possessive pronoun: to show possession
This is your bag, not mine.
Isn’t that interesting? The same word—mine—is used in both example sentences, but it means two entirely different things in each.
Here is a list of ten other English words with more than one meaning:
1. Interest
- as a noun: wanting to learn or know more about something
She developed an interest in programming after taking a course in college and now she is a
professional programmer. - as a noun: additional money charged on a borrowed sum
I am paying a high rate of interest on my home loan. - as a verb: to arouse curiosity or attention
We built interest in our product by outlining its many benefits on our social media channels.
2. Date
- as a noun: the day of the month or year
We still haven’t set a date for the ceremony. - as a verb: to show the age of something
This food at this restaurant is delicious but the old-fashioned décor really dates it.
3. Engage
- as a verb: to be involved in some work or an activity
The students hope to engage in a lively discussion with the visiting professor. - as an adjective: to have formally agreed to marry someone
The engaged couple shared the good news with their friends and family.
4. Leave
- as a verb: to go away from somewhere
Ali leaves for Delhi soon. - as a verb: to remain
The ink will leave a stain on my shirt. - as a verb: to deposit or deliver
The delivery person leaves Sharmila’s parcels with her neighbor. - as a noun: to be absent from work or duty
Gunjan is at home on leave today. She will not be attending the meeting.
5. Novel
- as a noun: a prose, fictionalized narrative in the form of a book that often tells a complex
story with characters and action
My mother’s novel about three generations of women from a small town has won the National Book Award this year. - as an adjective: something that is unique and interesting
I discovered a novel way to spend less money and save more
6. Park
- as a noun: a public garden or area for recreation
I am taking my children to play in the park today. - as a verb: to bring a car or vehicle to a stop for a period of time
We are leaving for the concert now so that we get a good spot to park the car.
7. Play
- as a verb: to engage in an activity or sport
We are going to play football today.
My band is playing at the City Club on Saturday. Why don’t you come check us out? - as a verb: to act in a dramatic production
I am playing the role of a politician in my next film. - as a noun: a theatrical production
Hamlet is my favorite play of all time.
8. Right
- as an adjective: morally fair, good or proper
The right thing to do now would be to apologize for your mistake. - as a noun: morally right or just.
He doesn’t seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. - as a noun: something one has legal or moral claim to
As a citizen of this country I have voting rights. - as a noun: the direction or location of something
If you look to your right, you will see the Museum of Natural History.
9. Run
- as a verb: to move faster than while walking
Don’t run down the street, that’s dangerous! - as a verb: to go somewhere in urgency or distress (not literally “running”, necessarily)
Even as an adult, I run to my mother with all my problems. - as a verb: to contend in a race of some kind
I intend to run for President four years from now. - as a noun: a continuous spell of a something
Souvik has a had a run of bad luck this year.
10. Type
- as a noun: a category of things or people that share something in common
They sell all types of fabric in that store. - as a verb: to write something on a keypad by pressing keys
Wow! You type very fast!
Now that’s a lot of different meanings for only a few words, isn’t it? And if you’ll believe it – many of these words can be used in even more ways than the ones listed here. But don’t be overwhelmed, a good online or print dictionary will help you find all the meanings of any English word you might encounter. And the more you read and speak in English, the stronger your vocabulary will become.
Here’s another great idea – to really power up your vocabulary try a Burlington English course! We have expert teachers on hand to guide you with our spoken English training courses that will take your language learning journey to the next level.