This study examined word meanings in the single word period of language learning. Ten children were seen for 5 hours each month from the time they started learning language until their median length of utterance was 2.5 words. All the children's utterances, and the extralinguistic contexts of the utterances, such as objects and movements, were recorded. Two issues involving words used in relation to movement were addressed: (1) whether words encoded events or were merely associates of events in the manner described in the literature as "complexive"; and (2) the kinds of events words encoded when they did encode events. Words used by four or more children were analyzed. These words included four verbs, four spatial prepositions, one possessive adjective, and one noun. All but one of the words used in the absence of movement indicated a request implying movement. Thus, the words were not being used complexively. It was not clear what aspects of movement were being encoded. The evidence that the words were used for others' selves as well as the child's self suggests that the words were not used to encode intentional behavior of a person. (BC)