polysemous

adjective

po·​ly·​se·​mous ˌpä-lē-ˈsē-məs  pə-ˈli-sə-məs 

variants or polysemic

ˌpä-lē-ˈsē-mik 

: having multiple meanings

polysemy

pə-ˈli-sə-mē 

ˈpä-lē-ˌsē-mē

noun

Examples of polysemous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Run takes up half again as much space as its nearest polysemous competitor, put, which itself is far more polysemous than the third word in this list, set. —Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2022

The wheel is now an omnipresent and polysemous symbol of not only New Age interpretations of Native religions but also pan-Indian ideology. —Sierra Crane Murdoch, Harper's Magazine, 3 May 2023

Rounding out the top 10 most polysemous words — each but a single syllable — are, alphabetically, cast, cut, draw, point, serve, strike, and through. —Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2022

In one of the more extreme polysemous developments, a word can take on an opposite meaning, as dust (v.) can mean to clean up small particles (dust the furniture) or to apply small particles (dust the Bundt cake with powdered sugar). —John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 3 July 2017

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin polysemus, from Greek polysēmos, from poly- + sēma sign

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above