How to distinguish between words with identical okurigana?


There are a ton of verbs with multiple readings and the exact same okurigana.
Sometimes they mean totally different things and sometimes they have very
similar meanings, so in the cases when they have similar meanings, how does
one determine the reading?

To give just one example,

堪える: たえる, こたえる, こらえる, are all listed as common readings and mean 'to bear,
endure'




I agree that this is very difficult. One way I've found that usually works is
to use context to determine the correct reading. Often one of the readings
will have specific nuances that the others don't, so the context of the
sentence can help you out.

One example that I personally encounter all the time is `汚れる`. It can be read
as both `よごれる` and `けがれる`. They both mean "become/get dirty". However, the
latter carries the additional nuance of a moral/ethical
"dirtiness"/impurity/uncleanliness/corruption/defiling. So in my Christian
Bible, in places where it speaks of spiritual uncleanliness or impurity, it is
almost always read as `けがれる`.

>   * **汚【けが】れた** 霊 → Impure/unclean/"evil" spirit
>   * どのような人の死体であれ、それに触れた者は七日の間 **汚【けが】れる** 。民数記19章11節 → Anyone who touches
> any type of dead body will be unclean for 7 days.
>   * 女性を **汚【けが】す** → Rape/Defile a woman
>

Doing a _really_ quick research of `堪える`, `たえる` and `こたえる` seem to mean the
same, but the latter appears to be somewhat antiquated/literary. While `こらえる`
carries the additional meaning of "supress/hold back", usually associated with
some kind of emotion (`あくびをこらえる` → supress a yawn; `涙をこらえる` → Hold back
tears).




I agree that this is very difficult. One way I've found that usually works is
to use context to determine the correct reading. Often one of the readings
will have specific nuances that the others don't, so the context of the
sentence can help you out.

One example that I personally encounter all the time is `汚れる`. It can be read
as both `よごれる` and `けがれる`. They both mean "become/get dirty". However, the
latter carries the additional nuance of a moral/ethical
"dirtiness"/impurity/uncleanliness/corruption/defiling. So in my Christian
Bible, in places where it speaks of spiritual uncleanliness or impurity, it is
almost always read as `けがれる`.

>   * **汚【けが】れた** 霊 → Impure/unclean/"evil" spirit
>   * どのような人の死体であれ、それに触れた者は七日の間 **汚【けが】れる** 。民数記19章11節 → Anyone who touches
> any type of dead body will be unclean for 7 days.
>   * 女性を **汚【けが】す** → Rape/Defile a woman
>

Doing a _really_ quick research of `堪える`, `たえる` and `こたえる` seem to mean the
same, but the latter appears to be somewhat antiquated/literary. While `こらえる`
carries the additional meaning of "supress/hold back", usually associated with
some kind of emotion (`あくびをこらえる` → supress a yawn; `涙をこらえる` → Hold back
tears).

