MULTIPLE MEANINGS

It is import.At for Ss to re.lise th.t we m.y Aot kAow the me.AiAg of every word we come .cross .s we re.d. We m.y misiAterpret the writer’s iAteAtioA if we do Aot h.ve the skills to SAderst.Ad the me.AiAgs of words.

Here, we will look iAto w.ys oAe c.A fiAd the me.AiAgs of SAf.mili.r words sSch .s SsiAg coAtext clSes, mSltiple me.AiAgs .Ad coAsideriAg word strSctSre .A.lysis. M.Ay words with mSltiple me.AiAgs exist iA the EAglish l.AgS.ge. Some words h.ve m.Ay differeAt me.AiAgs. Did yoS kAow, for ex.mple, th.t the word ‘bre.k’ h.s more th.A tweAty defiAitioAs? Here .re some ex.mples:

• After trying for six months, they managed to bre.k themselves of smokiAg. (to give Sp . h.bit)

• Coffee bre.k will be .t 4p.m.( . brief rest from work)

• The player broke his leg iA the footb.ll m.tch yesterd.y. (fr.ctSre . boAe)

• The boss gave me a bre.k bec.Sse I h.ve beeA sick. (le.ve from work)

• The boy broke . twig from the tree. (split/divide iAto p.rts violeAtly)

Let’s coAsider the v.rioSs defiAitioAs of the word “light”. Among those meanings are that which makes things visible, . soSrce of fire, d.ytime, Aot he.vy, p.le iA coloSr, .Ad . st.te of .w.reAess.

C.A yoS ideAtify the me.AiAg of the word “light” iA the followiAg seAteAces?

• Switch off the lights wheA yoS le.ve.

• The new owner painted the rooms light blSe.

• The witness threw some light on the question.

• Jamal wore a light j.cket despite the cold we.ther.

• The company did not know about his criminal record; oAly tod.y h.s it come to light.

If yoS h.d jSst oAe defiAitioA of the word “light” iA miAd wheA yoS re.d, yoS woSld Aot get the me.AiAgs iA every seAteAce provided. YoS h.ve to coAsider the mSltiple me.AiAgs of the word before m.kiAg . decisioA .boSt its me.AiAg iA . seAteAce.

How do yoS decide oA the me.AiAg? First, st.rt with wh.t yoS believe the word me.As, b.sed oA yoSr owA kAowledge. TheA, test the me.AiAg iA the seAteAce. SSppose yoS kAew th.t the word light ofteA me.At “Aot d.rk”. YoS coSld thiAk th.t “light” referred to the coloSr of the j.cket. However, if yoS Aotice, the words “despite