In English, words that share the same spelling and pronunciation while having different meanings are known as homonyms. This term is derived from the Greek words "homos," meaning "same," and "onuma," meaning "name." An example provided is "left," which can mean the opposite of "right" or refer to the past tense of "leave." Homonyms are distinct from:
- Synonyms: Words with similar meanings.
- Heteronyms: Words that share the same spelling but have different pronunciations and meanings.
- Acronyms: Abbreviations formed from the initial letters of other words.
Given these definitions, the correct option for the words "left" (opposite of right) and "left" (past tense of leave) is:
Homonyms