Words With More Than One Meaning

1,097 words on this list carry more than one sense. These are the ones tests reach for, because knowing a word is not the same as knowing which of its meanings a sentence is using.

The hardest vocabulary questions rarely use hard words. They use a word you are certain you know — patent, novel, static — in a sense you have never had to think about, and you read straight past it.

Everyday words with a harder second sense

160 words common enough to rank inside the 15,000 most frequent in written English, each carrying a meaning you would not guess from daily use. Study these first.

• Forum2 meanings

  noun

  a public meeting or assembly for open discussion

  noun

  a public facility to meet for open discussion

• Force4 meanings

  noun

  (physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity

  noun

  one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority

• Appropriate3 meanings

  verb

  give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

  verb

  take possession of by force, as after an invasion

• Catalog3 meanings

  noun

  a book or pamphlet containing an enumeration of things

  noun

  a complete list of things; usually arranged systematically

• Pacific3 meanings

  noun

  the largest ocean in the world

  adjective

  relating to or bordering the Pacific Ocean

• Setting4 meanings

  noun

  a mounting consisting of a piece of metal (as in a ring or other jewelry) that holds a gem in place

  noun

  arrangement of scenery and properties to represent the place where a play or movie is enacted

• Comprehensive3 meanings

  noun

  an intensive examination testing a student's proficiency in some special field of knowledge

  adjective

  including all or everything

• Anonymous2 meanings

  adjective

  having no known name or identity or known source

  adjective

  not known or lacking marked individuality

• Criteria2 meanings

  noun

  a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated

  noun

  the ideal in terms of which something can be judged

• Static4 meanings

  noun

  a crackling or hissing noise caused by electrical interference

  adjective

  concerned with or producing or caused by static electricity

• Dynamic3 meanings

  noun

  an efficient incentive

  adjective

  characterized by action or forcefulness or force of personality

• Agriculture3 meanings

  noun

  a large-scale farming enterprise

  noun

  the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock

• Amendment2 meanings

  noun

  a statement that is added to or revises or improves a proposal or document (a bill or constitution etc.)

  noun

  the act of amending or correcting

• Convention3 meanings

  noun

  a large formal assembly

  noun

  something regarded as a normative example

• Liability3 meanings

  noun

  the state of being legally obliged and responsible

  noun

  an obligation to pay money to another party

• Objective4 meanings

  adjective

  emphasizing or expressing things as perceived without distortion of personal feelings, insertion of fictional matter, or interpretation

  adjective

  serving as or indicating the object of a verb or of certain prepositions and used for certain other purposes

• Genre4 meanings

  noun

  a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique

  noun

  a style of expressing yourself in writing

• Novel4 meanings

  noun

  an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

  noun

  a printed and bound book that is an extended work of fiction

• Patent4 meanings

  adjective

  (of a bodily tube or passageway) open; affording free passage

  noun

  a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention

• Implement4 meanings

  noun

  instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end

  verb

  apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design

• Democracy3 meanings

  noun

  a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

  noun

  the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group

• Cooperation2 meanings

  noun

  the practice of cooperating

  noun

  joint operation or action

• Accessible3 meanings

  adjective

  capable of being reached

  adjective

  capable of being read with comprehension

• Consumption3 meanings

  noun

  the process of taking food into the body through the mouth (as by eating)

  noun

  involving the lungs with progressive wasting of the body

• Rail4 meanings

  noun

  any of numerous widely distributed small wading birds of the family Rallidae having short wings and very long toes for running on soft mud

  noun

  a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll

• Liberal4 meanings

  noun

  a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

  noun

  a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets

• Oracle3 meanings

  noun

  a prophecy (usually obscure or allegorical) revealed by a priest or priestess; believed to be infallible

  noun

  an authoritative person who divines the future

• Console4 meanings

  noun

  a scientific instrument consisting of displays and an input device that an operator can use to monitor and control a system (especially a computer system)

  noun

  an ornamental scroll-shaped bracket (especially one used to support a wall fixture)

• Attribute3 meanings

  noun

  a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

  noun

  an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity

• Foster4 meanings

  noun

  United States songwriter whose songs embody the sentiment of the South before the American Civil War (1826-1864)

  adjective

  providing or receiving nurture or parental care though not related by blood or legal ties

• Yield4 meanings

  noun

  the quantity of something (as a commodity) that is created (usually within a given period of time)

  noun

  the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property

• Sublime4 meanings

  adjective

  of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; ; - Oliver Franks

  verb

  change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting

• Uniform4 meanings

  noun

  clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification

  adjective

  always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences

• Recognize4 meanings

  verb

  accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

  verb

  exhibit recognition for (an antigen or a substrate)

• Chronic3 meanings

  adjective

  being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering

  adjective

  of long duration

• Integrity2 meanings

  noun

  an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting

  noun

  moral soundness

• Assess3 meanings

  verb

  evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of

  verb

  charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as a tax or a fine

• Animated3 meanings

  verb

  heighten or intensify

  verb

  give lifelike qualities to

• Moderate3 meanings

  noun

  a person who takes a position in the political center

  verb

  preside over

• Adverse2 meanings

  adjective

  contrary to your interests or welfare

  adjective

  in an opposing direction

• Acute3 meanings

  noun

  a mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation

  adjective

  having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course

• Canvas3 meanings

  noun

  a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)

  noun

  an oil painting on canvas fabric

• Resolve3 meanings

  noun

  the trait of being resolute

  noun

  a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote

• Amenities2 meanings

  noun

  pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions

  noun

  things that make you comfortable and at ease

• Explicit2 meanings

  adjective

  precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication

  adjective

  in accordance with fact or the primary meaning of a term

• Anxiety2 meanings

  noun

  (psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

  noun

  a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune

• Divine3 meanings

  noun

  terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

  noun

  a clergyman or other person in religious orders

• Compound3 meanings

  noun

  a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts

  noun

  (chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight

• Synthesis3 meanings

  noun

  the process of producing a chemical compound (usually by the union of simpler chemical compounds)

  noun

  reasoning from the general to the particular (or from cause to effect)

• Provincial4 meanings

  noun

  (Roman Catholic Church) an official in charge of an ecclesiastical province acting under the superior general of a religious order

  adjective

  characteristic of the provinces or their people

• Therapeutic3 meanings

  noun

  a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain

  adjective

  tending to cure or restore to health

• Discretion4 meanings

  noun

  the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies

  noun

  knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress

• Integral4 meanings

  adjective

  constituting the undiminished entirety; lacking nothing essential especially not damaged; - Bacon

  noun

  the result of a mathematical integration; F(x) is the integral of f(x) if dF/dx = f(x)

• Bias3 meanings

  noun

  a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation

  noun

  a line or cut across a fabric that is not at right angles to a side of the fabric

• Martial4 meanings

  noun

  Roman poet noted for epigrams (first century BC)

  adjective

  of or relating to the armed forces

• Chaos3 meanings

  noun

  a state of extreme confusion and disorder

  noun

  the formless and disordered state of matter before the creation of the cosmos

• Annex3 meanings

  noun

  an addition that extends a main building

  verb

  take (territory) as if by conquest

• Aggregate4 meanings

  noun

  material such as sand or gravel used with cement and water to make concrete, mortar, or plaster

  adjective

  composed of a dense cluster of separate units such as carpels or florets or drupelets

• Cant4 meanings

  noun

  a slope in the turn of a road or track; the outside is higher than the inside in order to reduce the effects of centrifugal force

  noun

  stock phrases that have become nonsense through endless repetition

• Renaissance2 meanings

  noun

  the period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries

  noun

  the revival of learning and culture

• Pathology2 meanings

  noun

  the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases

  noun

  any deviation from a healthy or normal condition

• Triangle4 meanings

  noun

  any of various triangular drafting instruments used to draw straight lines at specified angles

  noun

  a percussion instrument consisting of a metal bar bent in the shape of an open triangle

• Advocate3 meanings

  noun

  a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea

  noun

  a lawyer who pleads cases in court

• Subsidiary3 meanings

  noun

  an assistant subject to the authority or control of another

  noun

  a company that is completely controlled by another company

• Robust4 meanings

  adjective

  strong enough to withstand or overcome intellectual challenges or adversity

  adjective

  sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction

• Alias2 meanings

  noun

  a name that has been assumed temporarily

  adverb

  as known or named at another time or place

• Chronicle2 meanings

  verb

  record in chronological order; make a historical record

  noun

  a record or narrative description of past events

• Aerial3 meanings

  noun

  a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer

  noun

  an electrical device that sends or receives radio or television signals

• Wax4 meanings

  noun

  any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and insoluble in water

  verb

  increase in phase

• Hierarchy2 meanings

  noun

  the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body

  noun

  a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system

• Complement3 meanings

  noun

  a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction

  noun

  a complete number or quantity

• Catalyst2 meanings

  noun

  (chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected

  noun

  something that causes an important event to happen

• Aquatic3 meanings

  noun

  a plant that lives in or on water

  adjective

  relating to or consisting of or being in water

• Dispatch3 meanings

  noun

  an official report (usually sent in haste)

  noun

  the act of sending off something

• Empirical2 meanings

  adjective

  derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

  adjective

  relying on medical quackery

• Arbitration2 meanings

  noun

  (law) the hearing and determination of a dispute by an impartial referee agreed to by both parties (often used to settle disputes between labor and management)

  noun

  the act of deciding as an arbiter; giving authoritative judgment

• Reservoir3 meanings

  noun

  a large or extra supply of something

  noun

  lake used to store water for community use

• Disclose2 meanings

  verb

  make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

  verb

  disclose to view as by removing a cover

• Hypothetical2 meanings

  noun

  a hypothetical possibility, circumstance, statement, proposal, situation, etc.

  adjective

  based primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence

• Concord3 meanings

  noun

  capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river

  noun

  a harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colors and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole

• Peripheral3 meanings

  noun

  (computer science) electronic equipment connected by cable to the CPU of a computer

  adjective

  on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary; the outer area

• Wan4 meanings

  adjective

  abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

  noun

  a computer network that spans a wider area than does a local area network

• Subtle3 meanings

  adjective

  working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way

  adjective

  difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

• Mandate4 meanings

  noun

  a territory surrendered by Turkey or Germany after World War I and put under the tutelage of some other European power until they are able to stand by themselves

  noun

  the commission that is given to a government and its policies through an electoral victory

• Asylum2 meanings

  noun

  a shelter from danger or hardship

  noun

  a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person

• Accord3 meanings

  noun

  harmony of people's opinions or actions or characters

  noun

  concurrence of opinion

• Liaison2 meanings

  noun

  a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship

  noun

  a channel for communication between groups

• Din4 meanings

  verb

  instill (into a person) by constant repetition

  noun

  the act of making a noisy disturbance

• Nominal4 meanings

  adjective

  of, relating to, or characteristic of an amount that is not adjusted for inflation

  adjective

  insignificantly small; a matter of form only (`tokenish' is informal)

• Buffet3 meanings

  noun

  a piece of furniture that stands at the side of a dining room; has shelves and drawers

  noun

  a meal set out on a buffet at which guests help themselves

• Compelling3 meanings

  verb

  force somebody to do something

  verb

  necessitate or exact

• Exploit4 meanings

  verb

  use or manipulate to one's advantage

  verb

  draw from; make good use of

• Viable2 meanings

  adjective

  capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are

  adjective

  capable of life or normal growth and development

• Hardy3 meanings

  noun

  United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957)

  noun

  English novelist and poet (1840-1928)

• Versatile4 meanings

  adjective

  competent in many areas and able to turn with ease from one thing to another

  adjective

  able to move freely in all directions

• Derivative4 meanings

  noun

  the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx

  noun

  a compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound

• Definitive3 meanings

  adjective

  supplying or being a final or conclusive settlement

  adjective

  clearly defined or formulated; - R.B.Taney

• Inherent2 meanings

  adjective

  existing as an essential constituent or characteristic

  adjective

  in the nature of something though not readily apparent

• Foil3 meanings

  noun

  a piece of thin and flexible sheet metal

  noun

  anything that serves by contrast to call attention to another thing's good qualities

• Pinnacle3 meanings

  noun

  (architecture) a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress of tower

  noun

  the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development

• Proximity3 meanings

  noun

  a Gestalt principle of organization holding that (other things being equal) objects or events that are near to one another (in space or time) are perceived as belonging together as a unit

  noun

  the region close around a person or thing

• Degradation2 meanings

  noun

  changing to a lower state (a less respected state)

  noun

  a low or downcast state; - H.L.Menchken

• Orthodox3 meanings

  adjective

  of or pertaining to or characteristic of Judaism

  adjective

  adhering to what is commonly accepted

• Discourse4 meanings

  noun

  an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

  noun

  an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)

• Profound4 meanings

  adjective

  situated at or extending to great depth; too deep to have been sounded or plumbed; ; -Thomas Gray

  adjective

  far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something

• Paradigm4 meanings

  noun

  the class of all items that can be substituted into the same position (or slot) in a grammatical sentence (are in paradigmatic relation with one another)

  noun

  the generally accepted perspective of a particular discipline at a given time

• Rue4 meanings

  noun

  leaves sometimes used for flavoring fruit or claret cup but should be used with great caution: can cause irritation like poison ivy

  noun

  European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

• Oblique4 meanings

  adjective

  slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled

  noun

  a diagonally arranged abdominal muscle on either side of the torso

• Delegate3 meanings

  noun

  a person appointed or elected to represent others

  verb

  transfer power to someone

• Inevitable3 meanings

  adjective

  incapable of being avoided or prevented

  adjective

  invariably occurring or appearing

• Autonomous3 meanings

  adjective

  (of persons) free from external control and constraint in e.g. action and judgment

  adjective

  (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces

• Collateral3 meanings

  noun

  a security pledged for the repayment of a loan

  adjective

  descended from a common ancestor but through different lines

• Maxim2 meanings

  noun

  English inventor (born in the United States) who invented the Maxim gun that was used in World War I (1840-1916)

  noun

  a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

• Sovereign3 meanings

  noun

  a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right

  adjective

  (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces

• Combustion3 meanings

  noun

  a process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give heat and light

  noun

  a state of violent disturbance and excitement

• Abide2 meanings

  verb

  dwell

  verb

  put up with something or somebody unpleasant

• Validate3 meanings

  verb

  declare or make legally valid

  verb

  prove valid; show or confirm the validity of something

• Implicit2 meanings

  adjective

  implied though not directly expressed; inherent in the nature of something

  adjective

  being without doubt or reserve

• Congregation3 meanings

  noun

  a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church

  noun

  an assemblage of people or animals or things collected together

• Avid2 meanings

  adjective

  (often followed by `for') ardently or excessively desirous

  adjective

  marked by active interest and enthusiasm

• Fidelity2 meanings

  noun

  accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal

  noun

  the quality of being faithful

• Transient4 meanings

  noun

  (physics) a short-lived oscillation in a system caused by a sudden change of voltage or current or load

  adjective

  of a mental act; causing effects outside the mind

• Trivial3 meanings

  adjective

  (informal) small and of little importance

  adjective

  of little substance or significance

• Novice2 meanings

  noun

  someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows

  noun

  someone new to a field or activity

• Secular4 meanings

  adjective

  characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world

  adjective

  of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations

• Cerebral2 meanings

  adjective

  involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct

  adjective

  of or relating to the cerebrum or brain

• Pedestrian2 meanings

  noun

  a person who travels by foot

  adjective

  lacking wit or imagination

• Pertinent2 meanings

  adjective

  having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand

  adjective

  being of striking appropriateness and pertinence

• Volatile4 meanings

  noun

  a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor

  adjective

  marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments

• Sensory3 meanings

  adjective

  of a nerve fiber or impulse originating outside and passing toward the central nervous system

  adjective

  relating to or concerned in sensation

• Elaborate3 meanings

  verb

  add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

  verb

  produce from basic elements or sources; change into a more developed product

• Affinity4 meanings

  noun

  (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts

  noun

  a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character

• Inverse3 meanings

  adjective

  opposite in nature or effect or relation to another quantity

  adjective

  reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect

• Rhetoric4 meanings

  noun

  study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking)

  noun

  high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation

• Coherent4 meanings

  adjective

  marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts

  adjective

  capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner

• Manifest4 meanings

  verb

  provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes

  noun

  a customs document listing the contents put on a ship or plane

• Encore2 meanings

  noun

  an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand

  verb

  request an encore, from a performer

• Obscure4 meanings

  adjective

  not clearly understood or expressed; ; -Anatole Broyard; - P.A.Sorokin; - John Locke

  verb

  make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing

• Premise4 meanings

  noun

  a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn

  verb

  set forth beforehand, often as an explanation

• Tangible4 meanings

  adjective

  (of especially business assets) having physical substance and intrinsic monetary value

  adjective

  capable of being perceived; especially capable of being handled or touched or felt

• Contingent4 meanings

  adjective

  uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances; - George Eliot

  noun

  a gathering of persons representative of some larger group

• Solvent3 meanings

  noun

  a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem

  noun

  a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances

• Aesthetic4 meanings

  adjective

  concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste

  noun

  (philosophy) a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful

• Singular4 meanings

  adjective

  grammatical number category referring to a single item or unit

  adjective

  being a single and separate person or thing; ; -William James

• Candid3 meanings

  adjective

  characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

  adjective

  openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness

• Terrestrial3 meanings

  adjective

  of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air

  adjective

  of or relating to or characteristic of the planet Earth or its inhabitants; - L.C.Eiseley

• Incense4 meanings

  noun

  a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned

  noun

  the pleasing scent produced when incense is burned

• Aftermath2 meanings

  noun

  the outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual

  noun

  the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event)

• Ethereal4 meanings

  adjective

  characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air; - Thomas Carlyle

  adjective

  characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy

• Induce4 meanings

  verb

  produce electric current by electrostatic or magnetic processes

  verb

  cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner

• Precursor3 meanings

  noun

  a substance from which another substance is formed (especially by a metabolic reaction)

  noun

  something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone

• Intrinsic2 meanings

  adjective

  situated within or belonging solely to the organ or body part on which it acts

  adjective

  belonging to a thing by its very nature; - John Dewey

• Nexus2 meanings

  noun

  the means of connection between things linked in series

  noun

  a connected series or group

• Garner4 meanings

  noun

  a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed

  verb

  acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions

• Contiguous3 meanings

  adjective

  connecting without a break; within a common boundary

  adjective

  having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching

• Eclectic2 meanings

  noun

  someone who selects according to the eclectic method

  adjective

  selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas

• Kinetic3 meanings

  adjective

  relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces associated therewith

  adjective

  supplying motive force; - H.O.Taylor

• Verbatim2 meanings

  adjective

  in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker

  adverb

  using exactly the same words

• Attain3 meanings

  verb

  to gain with effort

  verb

  reach a point in time, or a certain state or level

• Imperative4 meanings

  noun

  a mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior

  adjective

  relating to verbs in the imperative mood

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