1. Multiple Meaning Words
Understanding what you read

2. What does multiple mean?
Meaning: More than one, many

3. What does multiple mean?
Meaning: More than one, many
Related words
multiply
multiplication
multi-colored

4. What does multiple mean?
Meaning: More than one, many
Related words
multiply
multiplication
multi-colored
Opposites
single
only
solo

5. What does multiple mean?
Meaning: More than one, many
Multiple meaning words have more than one meaning!
Related words
multiply
multiplication
multi-colored
Opposites
single
only
solo

6. Why learn about these words?
Many English words have multiple meanings. Knowing these different meanings can help us to understand what we read.

7. Think about the word fly
What different meanings does it have?

8. Think about the word fly
What different meanings does it have? -to move through the air

9. Think about the word fly
What different meanings does it have? -to move through the air -a kind of insect

10. Which meaning? We watched the leaves fly through the air.
To move through the air
A kind of insect
We watched the leaves fly through the air.

11. Which meaning? We watched the leaves fly through the air.
To move through the air
A kind of insect
We watched the leaves fly through the air.

12. Which meaning? We watched the leaves fly through the air.
To move through the air
A kind of insect
We watched the leaves fly through the air.
How do you know which meaning matches?

13. Using context
We can use context, or the words around a multiple meaning word, to figure out its meaning.

14. Which meaning? The turtles crawled up on the bank of the river.
The edge of a waterway
A place to keep money
To keep money in a bank

15. Which meaning? The turtles crawled up on the bank of the river.
Which meaning fits the context of the sentence?
The edge of a waterway
A place to keep money
To keep money in a bank

16. Which meaning? The turtles crawled up on the bank of the river.
A river is a kind of waterway
The edge of a waterway
A place to keep money
To keep money in a bank

17. Which meaning? The turtles crawled up on the bank of the river.
This meaning matches the context
The edge of a waterway
A place to keep money
To keep money in a bank

18. Which meaning of project?
The student created a colorful art project.
To throw forward
To cause an image to appear
A school assignment

19. Which meaning of project?
The student created a colorful art project.
To throw forward
To cause an image to appear
A school assignment

20. Which meaning of project?
The student created a colorful art project.
How did you know which meaning matched the sentence??
To throw forward
To cause an image to appear
A school assignment

21. Which meaning of play?
The children performed a play in a pavilion at the park.
To do something fun and amusing
To participate in a game
A show or performance

22. Which meaning of play?
The children performed a play in a pavilion at the park.
To do something fun and amusing
To participate in a game
A show or performance
What context can help you to figure this out?

23. Which meaning of play?
The children performed a play in a pavilion at the park.
To do something fun and amusing
To participate in a game
A show or performance
Why is the picture misleading?

24. Learning new meanings
Often, you’ll have to figure out new meanings for words. What does the word spring mean?

25. Learning new meanings
Does your meaning for spring match the way it is used in the sentence below? I went to the spring to get a bucket of fresh water.

26. Learning new meanings
Does your meaning for spring match the way it is used in the sentence below? I went to the spring to get a bucket of fresh water.
Do you know the meaning of spring that’s used in this sentence?

27. Learning new meanings
I went to the spring to get a bucket of fresh water.
To rise or leap into the air
A place where water wells up from the ground
A coiled piece of metal
A season between winter and summer

28. Learning new meanings
I went to the spring to get a bucket of fresh water.
To rise or leap into the air
A place where water wells up from the ground
A coiled piece of metal
A season between winter and summer

29. Learning new meanings
I went to the spring to get a bucket of fresh water.
A place where water wells up from the ground
How is this meaning similar to or different from the meaning that you first thought of for spring?

30. Learning new meanings
I went to the spring to get a bucket of fresh water.
A place where water wells up from the ground
How did the context of the sentence change your thinking?

31. Learning new meanings
I went to the spring to get a bucket of fresh water.
This picture shows a springhouse. People used to build these around springs to help keep them clean. They used the springhouse as a source of water.

32. Learning new meanings
Often, the different meanings of words are all related. You just need to think about how they can fit together.
Think about the word chilly. What does it mean?

33. Learning new meanings
The tourists weren’t happy with the chilly welcome that they received from the hotel clerk.
In this sentence, chilly doesn’t really mean cold. What could it mean? Why?

34. Learning new meanings
The tourists weren’t happy with the chilly welcome that they received from the hotel clerk.
As it’s used in this sentence, chilly means unfriendly. How does this relate to the other meaning of chilly?

35. Learning New Meanings
Think about what happens when a rocket is launched. Explain what launch means.
To launch a rocket means to send it up into the air. What else can you launch?

36. Learning New Meanings The school newspaper was launched last week.
Uh-oh! Was the school newspaper thrown into the air?

37. Learning New Meanings The school newspaper was launched last week.
Launch: To send into the air
Launch: To start something new
This is a different meaning for launch. The school newspaper was started last week.

38. Learning New Meanings The school newspaper was launched last week.
Launch: To send into the air
Launch: To start something new
How are these two meanings related?

39. Practice and Review What is a multiple meaning word?
A multiple meaning word has more than one meaning.

40. Practice and Review
Which sentence uses run in the same way as the sentence below?
The creek runs through the park.
The children run at gym class.
The ink runs when it gets wet.
The road runs across town.

41. Practice and Review
Which sentence uses run in the same way as the sentence below?
The creek runs through the park.
The children run at gym class.
The ink runs when it gets wet.
The road runs across town.

42. Practice and Review
Which sentence uses the word field as it is used in the sentence below?
The scientist was an expert in the field of wildflowers.
The school field was covered in yellow goldenrod.
The baseball players spent the end of the inning in the field.
The field of astronomy can be fascinating to study.

43. Practice and Review
Which sentence uses the word field as it is used in the sentence below?
The scientist was an expert in the field of wildflowers.
The school field was covered in yellow goldenrod.
The baseball players spent the end of the inning in the field.
The field of astronomy can be fascinating to study.

44. Practice and Review
Which sentence uses the word field as it is used in the sentence below?
The scientist was an expert in the field of wildflowers.
The field of astronomy can be fascinating to study.
In both of these sentences, field means an area of study. How can the context help you figure this out?

45. Practice and Review The students hiked through the forest of palms.
Which sentence uses the word palm as it is used in the sentence below?
The students hiked through the forest of palms.
The greenhouse contained several palms.
The burglar palmed the jewels.
The preschoolers had paint all over their palms.

46. Practice and Review The students hiked through the forest of palms.
Which sentence uses the word palm as it is used in the sentence below?
The students hiked through the forest of palms.
The greenhouse contained several palms.
The burglar palmed the jewels.
The preschoolers had paint all over their palms.

47. Practice and Review The students hiked through the forest of palms.
Which sentence uses the word palm as it is used in the sentence below?
The students hiked through the forest of palms.
The greenhouse contained several palms.
In both of these sentences, a palm is a kind of tree. What context helped you to figure this out?

48. Time to Reflect
What have you learned about multiple meaning words?

49. Emily Kissner