Examples

• A famous example of antanaclasis is seen in William Shakespeare
  William Shakespeare
  William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
  
  's Henry V
  Henry V (play)
  Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
  
  when the King sends the French ambassadors back to their master with an answer to the insulting gift of tennis-balls. He says, "for many a thousand widows/ Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands; Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down;" (HENRY V, I, ii, 284-286)
• Shakespeare also employed antanaclasis in Hamlet, when Polonius doles out advice to his daughter, Ophelia: "Tender yourself more dearly...or...you'll tender me a fool." (Hamlet, I, iii, 107-110)
• Later in Hamlet
  Hamlet
  The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
  
  , as Hamlet watches the gravedigger, he speculates on the possible former identities of the remains being removed from the grave: "This fellow might be in's time a great buyer of land, with his statutes, his recognizances, his fines, his double vouchers, his recoveries: is this the fine of his fines, and the recovery of his recoveries, to have his fine pate full of fine dirt?" (HAMLET, V, i, 103-108) In this instance we see "fine" used in four separate ways and "recovery" used in two.
• "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." —Benjamin Franklin
  Benjamin Franklin
  Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
  
  
• "If you aren't fired (up) with enthusiasm, you will be fired
  Termination of employment
  -Involuntary termination:Involuntary termination is the employee's departure at the hands of the employer. There are two basic types of involuntary termination, known often as being "fired" and "laid off." To be fired, as opposed to being laid off, is generally thought of to be the employee's...
  
  , with enthusiasm." —Vince Lombardi
  Vince Lombardi
  Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
  
  
• "The long cigarette that's long on flavor." —from an advertisement for Pall Mall
  Pall Mall (cigarette)
  Pall Mall cigarettes are a brand of cigarettes produced by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and internationally by British American Tobacco at multiple sites.- History :...
  
   cigarettes
• "Sorry, Charlie
  Charlie the Tuna
  Charlie the Tuna, the cartoon mascot tuna for StarKist Tuna, was created by Tom Rogers of the Leo Burnett Agency after StarKist hired Leo Burnett in 1961. StarKist Tuna is the name of a brand of tuna currently owned by Dongwon Industries....
  
  . StarKist doesn't want tunas with good taste — StarKist wants tunas that taste good." —from StarKist tuna advertisements
• "Put out the light, then put out the light." —Shakespeare's Othello
  Othello
  The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
  
  
• "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." - attributed to Groucho Marx
• "If you don't get it, you don't get it." —The Washington Post
  The Washington Post
  The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
  
  slogan
• "She is nice from far, but far from nice!" —Popular.
• "Just because a record has a groove / Don't make it in the groove." — from the song Sir Duke
  Sir Duke
  "Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S...
  
   by Stevie Wonder
  Stevie Wonder
  Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
  
  
• "If it's not on, it's not on". —Advertisements promoting the use of condoms by encouraging prospective sexual partners to refuse to participate unless a condom is used.
• "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man!" - Jay-Z
  Jay-Z
  Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
  
   in the song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone
  Diamonds from Sierra Leone
  "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a Grammy-winning song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on July 4, 2005 as the lead single of his second studio album, Late Registration. The song contains a sample of the theme song for the 1971 James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever as performed by...
  
  " by Kanye West
  Kanye West
  Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
  
  .
• "The odds are good, but the goods are odd." —Said about one's chances of finding a date in environments where others are predominately of the opposite sex (e.g., majority male or female college campuses)
• "She's not pretty. She's not ugly. She's pretty ugly."
• Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

See also

• Figure of speech
  Figure of speech
  A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile,...
  
  
• Polyptoton
  Polyptoton
  Polyptoton is the stylistic scheme in which words derived from the same root are repeated . A related stylistic device is antanaclasis, in which the same word is repeated, but each time with a different sense....
  
  
• Pun
  Pun
  The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
  
  
• Rhetoric
  Rhetoric
  Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
  
  
• Syllepsis
• List of linguistic example sentences