10 examples of POLYSEMOUS words

Examples of polysemous words: quote (interview) and quote (mention someone else's speech); capital (sum of money) and capital (government city of a country), etc. At unProfesor we give you more!

In the Spanish language we can find a large number of polysemous words. This enriches our language, but at the same time it can generate doubts between speakers and listeners. In particular, these problems arise when we must distinguish polysemous words with homonyms, since they share several similar characteristics.

In this lesson from a TEACHER, we are going to show you some examples of polysemous words so you can see how they work and automatically identify them in your texts. Prepared?

The polysemous words are those that have multiple meanings or different meanings, although all of them are related to each other in some way. This means that the same word can have different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.

• For example: The word "bank" can refer to a financial institution that is in charge of lending money or managing savings, but It can also refer to a piece of furniture that people sit on or even to a piece of land in the river or in the sea.
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• Another example of a polysemic word is the word "time", which can mean the period that elapses between two moments, the duration of something, the weather, among other meanings.

It is important to note that polysemic words can cause confusion in communication, so it is important consider the context and take into account the meaning that you want to convey. In addition, it is essential to know the precise meaning of polysemous words in order to properly understand what you are reading or listening to.

we leave you with some examples of polysemous words and each of its meanings, so you can see how these words need a context to understand them well.

Advice

• Recommendation, opinion to guide someone. For example: The wise man gave him advice and he knew how to listen to it.
• Board, assembly, collegiate body. For example: The board of directors adjourns the meeting.

Skirt

• Cut of beef. For example: The stew can be prepared with brisket.
• Lower part of a mountain or a mountain range. For example: The slope of the hill is covered with vegetation.
• Garment that falls from the waist down. For example: I will wear a skirt for the event.

Appointment

• Interview or meeting. For example: We have an appointment.
• Mention of a foreign speech. For example: A direct quote must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Access

• Entry point. For example: Parking access is blocked by a car.
• Outburst, impulse For example: In a fit of rage, the man did serious outrages.

Plant

• Bottom of the feet. For example: A splinter was stuck in the sole of the foot.
• Plant, autotrophic and photosynthetic living being. For example: The plant must receive light.
• Physical space where you work or factory. For example: The employees of the plant are on strike.
• Each of the floors of a construction or building. For example: The stairs lead to the upper floor.

Capital

• Sum of money, wealth, heritage. For example: The businessman lost all the capital he had invested.
• City of residence of the government of a country. For example: The capital of Venezuela is Caracas.

Language

• Muscular organ inside the mouth. For example: I bit my tongue.
• Organized system for communication between people, with signifiers and meanings. For example: The traveler did not understand the language of the country to which he had arrived.

Chart

• Framed art painting. For example: La Gioconda is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
• Set of data presented graphically, so that the relationship between them is noticed. For example: To study, you should make a synoptic table.
• Frame of a bicycle or motorcycle. For example: The bicycle frame is rusty.
• Geometric figure composed of four straight lines. For example: I have a checkered tablecloth.

Now let's use these words in some sentences, so that you can see how polysemous words work when we put them in their context:

• A layer of snow covered the entire car.
• put one on layer to protect you from the cold.

• The man took the feather and began to write.
• The bird lost one feather.

• The grenade it is rich in minerals.
• The soldier threw a grenade.

• He room it is completely closed.
• the corridor went out room in the race.

• I'll take one Cup of wine.
• The ball got caught in the Cup From the tree.

• my cousin dances dip.
• This meal would do well with a dip spicy.

• When I go to Mexico I want to try a Taco.
• give me a Taco of ham to accompany this wine.

• If he runs a lot, he shake.
• Leader shake his followers with his words.

• I want one sheet to make you a drawing.
• This plant has more than one sheet dry.

• He healing started with the mass.
• This disease has no healing.

Although polysemous words and homonymous words share the characteristic of having multiple meaningsThere are some differences between the two.

The polysemous words They are those that have multiple meanings related to each other and that derive from the same origin or root. These meanings may be related by their common use or by their context of application, but they all have an intrinsic relationship with each other.

On the other hand, the homonymous words are those that have the same sound, but have different meanings and are not related to each other. An example of a homonymous word is "beautiful," which can refer to something that is aesthetically pleasing or to a set of bells. Another homonymous word is "olla", which can be a kitchen utensil or a blow to the head.

We hope this article has been useful for you to get to know a little better the polysemous words. If you want to go deeper into this subject and you are interested in knowing how the Spanish language works, do not hesitate to consult our section on grammar and linguistics.

In this lesson we talk about the polysemous, monosemous, and homonymous words.