# Word with multiple meanings **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868 "2009-01-04T23:24:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/1 "2009-01-04T23:24:59Z")
Is there a name for a word that is both purposely and correctly used to mean more than one thing in a sentence. I know that homophone or homograph would be one word to describe this, but I suspect there is a word that denotes what I mean exactly. Two examples of what I mean: The song “For Good” in Wicked and The play “Caroline or Change” where change refers to either coins, social reform, and personal change ---
**Author:** ![Ruminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ruminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruminator)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/2 "2009-01-04T23:27:07Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > Is there a name for a word that is both purposely and correctly used to mean more than one thing in a sentence. A [Double entendre?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_entendre) ---
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/3 "2009-01-04T23:32:52Z")
Yes, it’s called “zeugma”. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/4 "2009-01-04T23:45:03Z")
Double entendre looks good, although I was hoping for a single word. zeugma doesn’t do it. It is defined as : “the use of a word grammatically related to two adjacent words, but inappropriate for one of them.” These words are appropriate in both contexts. ---
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/5 "2009-01-04T23:47:11Z")
Actually, to clarify, “zeugma” refers to the phenomenon whereby a word is used simultaneously with two difference senses in the same sentence, where part of the sentence requires one sense and another part requires another sense. An example would be “He caught a fish and a cold”, where the two direct objects each require a different sense of the verb. “Zeugma” does not refer to words that can be used this way, and it would probably not be used to describe your examples since nothing in e.g. “for good” forces “good” into one sense or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/6 "2009-01-04T23:51:08Z")
Isn’t it just a homonym? > **[Homonym](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homonym)** > > Homonyms are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. In linguistics, homonyms are words which are either homographs—words that have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation)—or homophones—words that have the same pronunciation (regardless of spelling)—or both. Using this definition, the words row (propel with oars), row (a linear arrangement) and row (an argument) are homonyms because they are homographs (though only the first two are homophones): so are the words se A ... ---
**Author:** ![Ruminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ruminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruminator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/7 "2009-01-05T00:00:24Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > Isn’t it just a homonym? > > [Homonym - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homonym) A homonym usually isn’t associated with intentional ambiguity. In other words, a homonym is describing etymology whereas double entendre is describing author’s literary intent (calculated misdirection and simultaneous innuendo). However, IANALanguageLawyer. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/8 "2009-01-05T00:04:05Z")
It is true that they are both homonyms and homographs, but with all words in the english language, I figured there should be one that deals with the intentional ambiguity. Right now we are leaning toward the unrewarding “multi-tiered.” ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/9 "2009-01-05T00:05:10Z")
And I agree that double entendre fits the bill, but for some reason does not feel perfect, as it is usually used in a slightly different sense. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/10 "2009-01-05T00:13:22Z")
There is a technical term for this: [Amphibology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibology) ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/11 "2009-01-05T00:31:11Z")
I think the term is “[polysemy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysemy)” (or sometimes “polyvalence”). ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/12 "2009-01-05T05:05:59Z")
> [@Ruminator](#): > > A homonym usually isn’t associated with intentional ambiguity. > > In other words, a homonym is describing etymology whereas double entendre is describing author’s literary intent (calculated misdirection and simultaneous innuendo). > > However, IANALanguageLawyer. Oh, in that case the word you’re looking for is “[pun](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pun)” Come on guys. Overthinking much? ---
**Author:** ![Ruminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ruminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruminator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/13 "2009-01-05T05:20:28Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > Oh, in that case the word you’re looking for is “[pun](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pun)” I think a “pun” is associated with something whimsical (like newspaper headlines) or a punchline to a joke. On the other hand, “double entendre” is labeling something more provocative (e.g. sexual innuendo) or hiding a meaning that’s too blunt to say directly. In other words, a “pun” can be rated-G for kids but “double entendre” is often rated-R for adults. It’s not black & white. **dauerbach** ’s examples could be called “puns.” > [@](#): > > Overthinking much? Is that a rhetorical question? I’m going to google that phrase to see if I’m parsing it incorrectly… ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/14 "2009-01-05T05:30:37Z")
There’s also the phrase “double meaning,” which gets to the point and doesn’t have the specific connotations of “pun” and “double entendre.” Of course, it’s rather plebeian. Not something you’d use to impress someone, surely. ---
**Author:** ![Ruminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ruminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruminator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/15 "2009-01-05T05:38:23Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > Of course, it’s rather plebeian. Not something you’d use to impress someone, surely. Bingo. I just like the way the Frenchiness of “double entendre” rolls off the tongue… _“Hey babe, did you know that book’s title is an example of a dooblay ontawndray?”_ If pronounced correctly with the French accent, it just oozes high culture…no?? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/16 "2009-01-05T08:15:37Z")
I vote for double entedre. I vote against “pun”, since that doesn’t have to have 2 meanings at once. Usually, one is meant truly and the other is barely related, just as when Dr. House (who walks w/ a cane, for non-fans) says to Cutty “…I could run home and get some” and she replies “No you can’t.” She clearly means run as in the method of transportation. She’s just loosely playing on the fact that it means somethings else too. There’s no ambiguity. A double entendre fits the bill for “Farewell to Arms”, for an embrace and also weaponry. Or in my favorite joke (currently): “A girl walked into a bar and ordered a double entendre, so the bartender gave it to her”. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/17 "2009-01-05T08:25:33Z")
> [@Ruminator](#): > > Bingo. I just like the way the Frenchiness of “double entendre” rolls off the tongue… _“Hey babe, did you know that book’s title is an example of a dooblay ontawndray?”_ > > If pronounced correctly with the French accent, it just oozes high culture…no?? If you pronounced it correctly, it might. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/18 "2009-01-06T03:50:50Z")
Several terms have been suggested, none of which to my knowledge has achieved anything resembling a consensus. Among these are homographs, antagonyms, self-antonyms and Janus words. My personal favorite, from Richard Lederer’s _Crazy English_ (1989) is contronyms. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/19 "2009-01-06T20:06:54Z")
Oops, misread the question. Please ignore prior answer, which has to do with words having contradictory meanings rather than multiple meanings. As for the latter - my favorite being Groucho Marxs’ famous “time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana” - the best word that comes to mind is [equivocation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equivocation). Technically, that’s a logical fallacy rather than a linguistic designation, but I hear people throw it around pretty casually these days. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-with-multiple-meanings/479868/20 "2009-01-06T23:16:10Z")
I would restrict “homograph” to words with the same spelling and different pronunciations. I once started a list of such words. Some examples: “read”, “lead”, “equivalent” (which a chemist would pronounce “equi-valent”), “progress”, “house” and maybe a score of others. I also found one in French: “fils”, the phenomenon seems much rarer there and the native French speakers are surprised I even found one.