polysemous
adjective
po·ly·se·mous ˌpä-lē-ˈsē-məs 
pə-ˈli-sə-məs
pə-ˈli-sə-məs variants or polysemic
ˌpä-lē-ˈsē-mik
: having multiple meanings
polysemy
pə-ˈli-sə-mē
noun ˈpä-lē-ˌsē-mē
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web 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
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
- contractibilities
- contractibility
- contractible
- contractiblenesses
- contractile
- contractile cell
- contractile vacuole
- contractilities
- contractility
- contracting
- contracting (for)
- contracting for
- contraction
- contraction joint
- contraction rule
- contractional
- contractionary
- contractionist
- contractions
- contractive
- contractless
- contractometer
- contractor
- contractors
- contracts