Multiple Meaning Words
In English there are words with more than one meaning just like it happens in any language.
Em inglês existem palavras com mais de um significado como ocorre em qualquer língua do mundo.
Um pequeno exemplo em português:
O que vem a sua mente ao ler ou ouvir a palavra "cabo" ? -
Pode ser:um militar, um fio de antena de tv, o cabo de uma ferramenta, um cabo geográfico ?
Para saber de que "cabo" se está falando dependemos do contexto da frase, certo?
Porque você achou que em inglês seria diferente? Veja só algumas palavras multi-significado na lista abaixo.
Às vezes há mais significados que os
dados aqui, Mas isso é pouco comum.
Nossa intenção é apenas chamar sua atenção para esta caraterística linguística.
Bank = banco / margem de rio
Be careful with your bank account password.
My uncle has a house on the river bank.
Bark =
latir / casca de árvore
My dog barks like crazy when he sees a cat.
Cork is the bark of a special tree. (Cortiça é a casca de uma árvore especial).
BAT
= morcego / bastão
de baseball
A bat is not a flying mouse.It's a different kind of animal.
In baseball game players use a heavy bat to hit the ball.
Book
= livro / reservar
(fazer reserva em hotel, restaurante etc...)
The book is in the shelf.
Before going to a place it is good to book a room in a hotel.
Bright
= brilho / brilhar / brilhante / muito inteligente.
A candle gives a soft and romantic bright to a dinner.
My brother is a bright guy. He's only 20 and he's a doctor.
Can = verbo poder / lata (refrigerante ou cerveja.)
I can play the piano
in your party.That's no problem.
I can drink all the beer cans I want a day,but I think one can is enough.
Veja só isto:
If a canner can
can 100 cans a day, how many cans can a canner can in three weeks of canning
cans?
Check
= conferir / cheque (de banco)
It is always good to check your car before long trips.
When you check you car you can pay the service by check.
Coat = casaco / revestir,cobrir.
In winter there's nothing better than a good coat.
I coated my living room with wallpaper. It is beautiful now.
Fly
= voar / mosca(inseto).
People always wanted to fly. Santos Dumont made it possible.
A fly can bring several deseases to your food. Keep it away.
Foot
= pé (humano)
/ unidade de medida
(30,4 cm.)
The plural of "foot" is "feet" , did you know that?
One foot is equal to 30.4 centimetres,ok? How much is 3/4 of a foot?
Ground
= chão / passado do verbo "Grind"= Moer
(pronuncia-se
"graind").
I am affraid of flying. I prefer to stay on the ground.
A esfiha is a kind of Arabic food made with ground meat on top.
Hard = duro, rígido / difícil
What keeps the information in a computer is called Hard Disk.
I think it is really hard to learn how to speak Japanese.
Kid = garoto / bode jovem
The movie "Kids" is about teenagers and AIDS.
Young goats are calledd kids but they aren't human kids.
(meio confuso né?)
Leaves
= parte (vai embora) / folhas (plural de leaf - folha de planta)
Jane leaves home at 7:00 am to go to school everyday.
In autumn the tree leaves become brown and fall down.
Veja a página Plurals
Light = luz / leve / verbo iluminar
God said "Let there be light" -and there was light.
You can easily carry a book. It's very light but important.
Let me light the room for you or you may have an accident.
Mark
= notas escolares / marca (mancha) / Marcos (nome próprio)
If you don't study how do you expect to have good marks?
Don't put a hot plate on a wood table because it will leave a mark on it.
I have canadian friend called Mark. He came to Brazil last year.
Match = fósforo / combinar / partida esportiva
I need to light the birthday candles.Please give me a match.
Your yellow shirt doesn't match with that red jacket.
It was great! Our team won the match by 3 x 0.
Park = parque / estacionar veiculo.
On sunday it is good to go to Ibirapuera park to walk a little.
Don't park your car in front of a garage or you'll will get a parking
ticket.
Party
= festa / partido politico.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I'll invite all my friends to a party.
Many times it is difficult to choose a political party to vote for.
Veja a pagina Plural
Pitcher = lançador (baseball) / dosador de bebidas.
Attention! The pitcher is going to throw the ball now!
Don't exaggerate in your whisky. Use the pitcher ok?
Play = jogar / tocar / representar.
I just love to play soccer with my friends on weekends.
My father always liked to play the violin.
It was great when Harrison Ford played Blade Runner main character.
Punch = bebida / socar, dar socos.
Punch is a popular drink made with wine and fruit.
If you don't stop bothering me I'll punch you in the nose.
Right = lado direito / correto / direito juridico.
To reach the theater go to the corner and turn right.
If you say that 2+3=6 you are not right.
In USA when someone is arrested the policeman says:" You have the right to remain silent..."
Rose
=
rosa (flôr) / subiu,levantou (past of the verb To Rise).
Rose is known as the queen of all flowers.
The campaign rose funds for children in need all over the world.
Ruler
= regua / "aquele que dita as regras"(rules).
Use the ruler to draw a line.It will make your drawing look better.
To make the Law someone as to act as a ruler.
Sheet
=
folha (de papel) / lençol
(roupa de cama).
Give me a sheet of paper. I need to write something.
The most usual color for a bed sheet is white.Or do you prefer other color?
Show = mostrar /
espetáculo.
I don't know this building.Please show me the way out.
Pink Floyd was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen.
Sign = assinar / sinal / signo (zodiaco)
To get your document just sign here,please
In the desert there's no sign of life for many miles.
My sign is Libra. What's yours?
Sink
= verbo Afundar(sink, sank, sunk) / pia,lavatório.
In April 14, 1912 the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank killing thousands of people.
Don't wash your hands in the toilet, stupid. Do it in the sink!
Veja a pagina Titanic
Stick
= galho / espeto / grudar
(algo em algum lugar).
The branches of a tree are also called sticks,right?
Brazilian cowboys use a stick to guide the cattle on their journeys.
Many people like to stick pictures on the car windows.Do you stick pictures anywhere?
Top
= parte de cima / pião
(brinquedo)/ cume de montanha / blusa curta / ultimo andar(top floor) / maximo,o mais alto
The title is usually on the top of the page.
Do children still play with tops anywhere?
Climbing a montain rewards all the hard work when you reach the top.
Many girls like to wear a top in summer.
My father leaves in that building on the top floor.
For many years Airton Senna was the top pilot in Formula 1 races.
Train
= trem(comboio) / verbo treinar.
Today people don't use train so much. It seems cars and buses have the preference.
To became a champion you must train hard for a long time.
Watch
=
assitir
(TV ou filme) / relogio de pulso.
At night we like to watch TV in the comfort of our homes.
What time is it, please? I forgot my watch at home.
Wind
= vento
(pronunciado "uind") / enrolar,enroscar(pronunciado
"uaind").
Patrick Swayze , the actor who played "Ghost" also recorded a song called "She's like the wind".
Slam your body down and wind it all around.(from a song by The Spice Girls)
Veja também:Confusing Words