The meaning or meanings of a lexical unit (word or idom) must be integrally related to the the range of referents for which such a lexical unit serves as a sign, but the meaning cannot be merely a listing of all the denotata. The essential aspects of meaning must be stated in terms of the distinctive semantic features which make possible the use of the sign in referring to a particular set of referents. This means that for the lexicographer one of the constantly recurring problems is the necessity to distinguish clearly between meaning and reference, that is, the statement of the set of distinctive features and the various potential referents. Accordingly, this paper attempts to summarize some of the principal techniques which may be used in deciding certain problems of polysemy.