Polysemy
The property of a word having multiple related meanings. Polysemous words have several connected senses that derive from a single root meaning.
Real World
The word 'mouse' extended from the small rodent to the computer device because of a shared physical resemblance — a polysemous connection through metaphorical association rather than coincidence.
Exam Focus
Distinguish polysemy from homonymy by showing the related meanings share a semantic root; this demonstrates higher-level linguistic knowledge.
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