What word has the most different definitions?
John Hall
Updated on February 08, 2026
set
The word with the most meanings in English is the verb ‘set’, with 430 senses listed in the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, published in 1989. The word commands the longest entry in the dictionary at 60,000 words, or 326,000 characters.
What are the different definitions of to?
The words “to,” “too,” and “two” are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. The preposition “to” refers to a place, direction, or position. The particle “to” is used before the verb in a to-infinitive. The adverb “too” means also, very, extremely, or additionally. “Two” refers to the number 2.
What is the meaning of different in one word?
Adjective. different, diverse, divergent, disparate, various mean unlike in kind or character. different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness. different foods diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast.
What is the difference between explanation and meaning?
The main difference between Explain and Define is that the Explain is a set of statements constructed to describe a set of facts and Define is a statement that explains the meaning of a term. Thus, an explanation is subjected to interpretation, and discussion.
What is the most complex word?
Here’s The Full Definition Of The Most Complex Word In The English Language. One of many interesting facts about words we learned in “The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary” by Simon Winchester (2003) is that the most complex word in the language is “set.”
Which homonym has the most meanings?
Run: 645 definitions Though there is some debate surrounding the first place position of “run,” as one of the top homographs it has (an anticipated) 645 different definitions, according to a New York Times article from 2011.
What is the correct way to use too?
To is a preposition with several meanings, including “toward” and “until.” Too is an adverb that can mean “excessively” or “also.” Just to be clear: two is pronounced the same as to and too, but it can’t be used instead of either of them because it’s a number.
What’s a better word for different?
Some common synonyms of different are disparate, divergent, diverse, and various. While all these words mean “unlike in kind or character,” different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness.