Which term describes words with the same form and a related meaning or sense, as in head (body part) and head of state (leader)?

Which term describes words with the same form and a related meaning or sense, as in head (body part) and head of state (leader)?

• A. Polysemes/Polysemy
• B. Homonyms
• C. Synonyms
• D. Antonyms

Answer: (A)

Polysemy describes a single word that has multiple related senses. In this case, head used for a body part and head of state both pull from the idea of being at the top or at the front, so the two meanings are connected by a common concept. That’s why it’s polysemy—the form is the same and the senses are related, not completely unrelated.

If it were homonyms, the meanings would be unrelated despite the same spelling; if it were synonyms, we’d be looking at different words with the same meaning; and if it were antonyms, they’d be opposite in meaning. The best term here is polysemy.