What is it called when one word has more than one definition?

What is it called when one word has more than one definition?

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). Beginning in kindergarten, children learn to use context to determine which meaning of a multiple-meaning word is correct in a sentence.

What is the word with the most definitions?

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 is the meaning of Antonymy?

Noun. 1. antonymy – the semantic relation that holds between two words that can (in a given context) express opposite meanings.

What 3 letter word has the most definitions?

run
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.

Which word has the longest definition?

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis Appearing in the Oxford English Dictionary, this 45-letter word for a disease is the longest English word that is defined in a major dictionary. It’s a technical word referring to the lung disease more commonly known as silicosis.

What is opposite of plenty?

Opposite of a great amount. lack. deficiency. insufficiency. inadequacy.

What is the meaning of synonymy?

1a : a list or collection of synonyms often defined and discriminated from each other. b : the study or discrimination of synonyms. 2 : the scientific names that have been used to designate the same taxonomic group (such as a species) also : a list of these.

What words have two meanings?

15 mind-bending words that have 2 completely opposite meanings Variety. A variety of varieties. Clip. Clipping coupons. Weather. The weathered rocks of the Grand Canyon have weathered many storms. Dust. Employees dust beignets with powdered sugar at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana. Consult. Giving or receiving advice? Bill. Bills of money. Overlook. Overlooking a Mardi Gras parade. Buckle. Refrain. Leave.

What are some words with dual meanings?

Bat. “Bat” as in the animal.

Compact. “Compact” could refer to makeup holder.

Desert. “Desert” as in a barren land.

Fair. A county fair.

Lie. To lie down.

Lead. “Lead” used to be found in the pencil.

Minute. “Minute” means 60 seconds.

Refuse. Refuse is another word for garbage.

Project. Shadow puppets are projected on a wall.

Second.

What are words with many meanings?

There are many words with multiple meanings. Some words are spelled the same and pronounced differently while others are spelled differently and pronounced the same. The different types of multiple meaning are called homonyms, homophones, and homographs. Words that have the same spelling and pronunciation, but have different meanings.

What is a multiple meaning word?

Multiple-Meaning Words. A multiple-meaning word is a word that has more than one meaning. Though the word’s meaning, part of speech, and pronunciation may change according to how it is used in a sentence, the spelling of the word stays the same.