Polysemic words

Words with multiple meanings are words that have multiple meanings and are used very frequently in Spanish. Let’s look at an example of the verb “pay”. In that case, it is about satisfaction or payment, and in the second case, it is about punishment or suffering.

As confusing as it may seem, words with multiple meanings contribute to the speed of conversation and are part of the so-called economy of language (in this case, a language has many means to make the most of its resources). there is). the same word).

Context helps avoid confusion in communication about the meaning of words. Instead of asking, “Will you pay me?” At the store, I shouted “Pay me!” as usual.

Do not confuse polysyllabic words with homophones. The following words have the same spelling but differ in meaning and etymology. Let’s look at some examples of homophones. “Louisa will be married this Sunday” and “Louisa will be home this Sunday”.

The former is a verb for getting married, and the latter is a noun for the place of residence. According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, the verb pass has many meanings and can have up to 64 different meanings.

Polysemy Examples List of Words

1. Fan. Folding air jet / Series of ideas or things to choose from.
2. Needle. To sew or to inject / To mark the hour, minutes, and seconds on clocks / Compass / Fish with a tube-shaped tip.
3. Apparatus. Machine / Organic system (“circulatory apparatus”) / Political or state structure (“the repressive apparatus”).
4. Bank. Furniture to sit / Financial institution / In rivers, lakes, and seas, shallow stretches of sand.
   Side. Proclamation, decree / Faction, a party (“he is on your side”).
5. Bomb. Explosive device / Equipment to move water flows/fuel dispenser / Air balloon for children’s parties.
6. Sing. Produce melodious sounds / Bird language / Betray, confess.
7. Letter. The message, writing that is sent by mail / Menu, list of foods in a restaurant.
8. Copper. Red Metal / Money (“he doesn’t have a copper in his pocket”).
9. Right. Straight, direct / Relating to the laws / Right-handed (“right arm”) / Fair, honest.
10. Destination. Hado, a force that controls life / Place to travel / Goal.
11. Double. Two portions of something / Two equal people or things / Specialist who replaces an actor or actress in stunts. Polysemic words with examples
12. Pregnancy. State of pregnancy in women / Difficulty, Obstacles / Shyness, shame.
13. Entry. Space to enter somewhere / Ticket or ticket / Areas without hair on the head.
14. Style. Form or manner of behaving or acting / Characteristics of an art form in a certain period / Part of a flower.
15. Skirt. Garment / Cut of meat / Lower part of a mountain.
16. Front. Top of a face / Front of a house or terrain / Trench, confrontation zone.
17. Focus. Lighthouse, bulb, flashlight / Center of attention, points of interest.
18. Spend. Buy / Deteriorate with use / Consume (“uses a lot of water“).
19. Cat. Carnivorous mammal, feline / Instrument for lifting heavy objects (such as the hydraulic jack of vehicles) /
20. A colloquial way of nicknaming those born in Madrid.
21. Grenade. Edible fruit / Projectile and explosive device / Spanish province and Caribbean country.
22. Habit. Religious dress / Customs (“smoking is a bad habit”).
23. Strand. Piece of thread in a garment / Fiber of meat / Stigma of the saffron flower.
24. Home. Place where you cook, fireplace or stove / House, domicile / Asylum, place of retirement.
25. Leaf. Part of a plant / Sharp part of a knife or dagger / Paper support / Part of a door or window.
26. Icon. Religious image of the Orthodox Church / Graphic symbol that resembles what is represented (in computer programs and traffic signs.
27. Infant. Boy or girl in their early years / Belonging to a royal family / Soldier who fights on foot (infantry).
28. Innocent. That he is not guilty / Naive, naive / Harmless, that he is not harmful / Ignorant.
29. Pull. Pull, hold and attract (pull a rope) / Aspire, smoke (“pull a cigarette”) / Eat a lot.
30. Council. Meeting of several people / Groups or committees / Union of two objects.
31. Long. Extended, which has a length / Generous / Dilated (“this goes for long”) / In music, a slow movement.
32. Beat. Dog barking / Heart pumping, pulse.
33. Language. Human organ / System of signs to communicate.
34. Parrot. Ave, parrot / Ugly, who wears garish colors / Person who talks too much.
35. Send. Give an order / Send something or someone / Order something or someone.
36. Mango. Edible tropical fruit / Beautiful, attractive person / Money (“He doesn’t have a mango”).
37. Wrist. Toy / Articulation between the hand and the arm / Attractive woman / Skill (“having a doll to do it well”).
38. Nothing. Absolute absence of something / Feeling of emptiness / To downplay something (“it’s nothing”).
39. Noble. Generous, kind, of good character / Belonging to a family of ancestry / Chemically inactive, metals such as gold and platinum.
40. Wave. Wave in the water / Thermal currents (“cold wave”) / Groups in movement / Cultural currents (“the rock wave”).
41. Organ. Parts of an animal or plant body / Musical instrument / Publication spokesperson for a party or organization.
42. Happen. Carrying from one place to another / Crossing from one place to another / Suffering or feeling (“having a bad time”) / In board games, do not play when it is your turn.
43. Pasta. Dough made with different substances / Various types of noodles / Pastry sweets / Money.
44. Bridge. Construction with various materials to cross rivers or crevices / Dental prosthesis / Checkpoint on a boat.
45. Radio. Part of the circumference / Maximum reach of a person, activity, or instrument / Bone of the forearm.
46. Real. That belongs to royalty / Currency (“the Brazilian real”) / Grand, luxurious.
47. Sauce. A mix of various foods to prepare dressings / Caribbean musical genre / Moment or situation that enlivens or brightens life. Polysemic words with examples
48. Serie. Chain of facts or events (“wave series”) / Sets of tickets or stamps / Television program with several episodes.
49. Table. A flat piece of wood / Table of numbers (multiplication table) / Graphic with information broken down into rows and columns.
50. Tube. Hollow metal cylinder / Element of old radios and televisions / Container for paints and creams (“the toothpaste tube”).
51. Candle. Vigil (“sleep all night”) / Wax tube with a wick to illuminate.