Glossary:Homograph

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Homograph

ˈhɒməˌgrɑ:f

Definition

Homographs are words that are spelled in the same way, but have different meanings. They may also differ in pronunciation.

Examples

wave: 1. move the hand in greeting or 2. sea water coming to shore
dove: 1. bird or 2. past tense of the verb dive in AE

Related Terms

heteronym
homonym
homophone

Literature

Kortmann, Bernd. English Linguistics: Essentials. Berlin 2005.

Links

A Useful List of English Homographs