# Polysemy and Word Sense The children **ran** to the store If you see this man, **run**! Service **runs** all the way to Cranbury She is **running** a relief operation in Sudan the story or argument **runs** as follows Does this old car still **run** well? Interest rates **run** from 5 to 10 percent Who's **running** for treasurer this year? They **ran** the tapes over and over again These dresses **run** small - **homonymy**: unrelated word senses. bank (raised land) vs bank (financial institution) - bank (financial institution) vs bank (in a casino): related but distinct senses. - **regular polysemy** and sense extension - metaphorical senses, e.g. swallow [food], swallow [information], swallow [anger] - metonymy, e.g. he played Bach; he drank his glass. - zero-derivation, e.g. tango (N) vs tango (V) - vagueness: nurse, lecturer, driver - cultural stereotypes: nurse, lecturer, driver No clearcut distinctions. --- ## References