What is it called when the same word has multiple meanings?

What is it called when the same word has multiple meanings?

Polysemy (/pəˈlɪsɪmi/ or /ˈpɒlɪsiːmi/; from Greek: πολύ-, polý-, “many” and σῆμα, sêma, “sign”) is the capacity for a word or phrase to have multiple related meanings.

What are words with the same spelling but different meaning?

Homonyms
Homophones are words that sound the same but are different in meaning or spelling. Homographs are spelled the same, but differ in meaning or pronunciation. Homonyms can be either or even both. Or the fact that there is a single word which describes these two very different types of words.

What are words that are spelled alike with different meanings?

20 words that are spelled the same but have different meanings Bat. “Bat” as in the animal. Compact. “Compact” could refer to makeup holder. Desert. “Desert” as in a barren land. Fair. A county fair. Lie. To lie down. Lead. “Lead” used to be found in the pencil. Minute. “Minute” means 60 seconds. Refuse. Refuse is another word for garbage. Project. Shadow puppets are projected on a wall. Second.

What are some words with multiple meanings?

There are many words with multiple meanings. Some words are spelled the same and pronounced differently while others are spelled differently and pronounced the same. The different types of multiple meaning are called homonyms, homophones, and homographs.

What are two words sound the same but are spelled differently?

Two or more words that sound the same but are spelled differently are called homophones. ( Homo – is the Greek root for “same,” and phon- is the Greek root for “sound,” so homophone means “same sound.”) These are words that can be confusing for writers.

What are two different words but with the same meaning?

Polysemes are words with the same spelling and distinct but related meanings. The distinction between polysemy and homonymy is often subtle and subjective, and not all sources consider polysemous words to be homonyms.