2006-12-10 09:53:07 · 13 answers · asked by Girlygirl 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Your question isn't precise enough for us to say for sure. There are, in fact, SEVERAL ways of speaking about words with "more than one meaning".
First, as some have noted, there are MANY words that have multiple meaning, that is, the 'same word' can be used in different ways in different contexts. This is obvious from dictionary entries that list 1, 2, 3, etc. when defining a word. And this is NOT peculiar to English. It is common in language.
BUT note that, ordinarily, only ONE of those meanings is used at a time -- and if the speaker is competent and careful, and the listener knows the language there is no confusion.
So I suspect that is NOT what you are after!
More likely you are thinking of instances of AMBIGUITY, in which a word (or expression) is used in such a way that the intended meaning is unclear.
Often the ambiguity is DELIBERATE. This could broadly be called "double meaning". It is common in literary use, in which there is a literal (surface) meaning, but the sentence is constructed in a way that also hints at another deeper (perhaps symbolic) meaning. The word may, for instance, allude to some larger theme of the poem, book, etc.
Another creative use of 'double meaning' (or 'deliberate ambiguity') is in HUMOR. This includes what others have mentioned -- "double entendre", which is especially associated with such things as sexual innuendo. But double entendre is by no means the only use of ambiguity/double meaning in humor. The more common type is a PUN.
2006-12-12 15:04:46 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
English
2006-12-12 14:53:00 · answer #2 · answered by Ollie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The english language
2006-12-10 17:56:58 · answer #3 · answered by jwhfaye 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's called a "double entendre" or literally a "double understanding", and frequently such words are followed by "Oooh missus!" ;-)
2006-12-11 02:14:40 · answer #4 · answered by feeltherisingbuzz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's HOMONYM.
for example, RIGHT can be the opposite of left, or the opposite of wrong. One word, more than one meaning.
A homophone sounds the same but isn't written the same, eg
Write/right
2006-12-10 18:28:27 · answer #5 · answered by fidget 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Double entendre.
2006-12-10 17:55:25 · answer #6 · answered by Polo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't think there is a term for that Kate :) pick up a collegiate dictionary and most of them do.
2006-12-10 17:59:01 · answer #7 · answered by Grev 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
ambiguous
2006-12-10 17:55:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
double negative?
2006-12-10 17:56:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
ambiguous?
2006-12-10 19:25:33 · answer #10 · answered by la.bruja0805 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋