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Spell Bee Word: Handful


What does handful mean?

Word: Handful

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: as much as you can hold in one hand. It can also mean a small number of people or things.

How do you spell handful?

Syllables: hand - ful

Tricky part: The end of the word sounds like full, so children add a second l. Only one l belongs there.

Watch out for: handfull, handfulle

Memory tip: The word loses an l at the end, just as your hand loses a few grains through your fingers.

Handful in a sentence

Example 1: She threw a handful of rice into the pot.

Example 2: Only a handful of children stayed after the bell.

Example 3: Grandpa scattered a handful of seeds for the birds.

Fun Fact

A handful can also be a person. Parents sometimes call a lively toddler a bit of a handful, meaning hard to keep under control.

Practise the CREST Way

Word Cookie

Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:

h_ndf_l

a) e, u
b) a, o
c) a, u
d) u, a

Show answer

c) a, u. You hear the a of cat in the opening sound, and the other vowel is the u of put.

Word Cookie

Find the extra letter in the word:

handeful

a) e
b) a
c) u
d) n

Show answer

a) e. A vowel has slipped into the middle of this word.

Spell-o-Spell

Choose the incorrectly spelt word:

a) teaspoon
b) hanful
c) quantity
d) measure

Show answer

b) hanful. The word is about what a hand holds, so the d must stay.

Mingle-Mangle

Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:

dfnhula

a) handful
b) hadnful
c) handluf
d) hnadful

Show answer

a) handful. Look for what your palm and fingers can hold.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What could you carry as a handful?

a) some peanuts from a bowl
b) a stack of bricks
c) a sack of potatoes
d) a bucket of water

Show answer

a) some peanuts from a bowl

2. Only a handful of seats were empty in the hall. What does this tell you?

a) The seats were very small
b) Most seats were taken
c) The hall had no chairs
d) Most seats were free

Show answer

b) Most seats were taken

Associated Words

Words that end in -ful: faithful, peaceful, wistful, dutiful, delightful, wonderful

More words from this list

lead, padlock, ruin, tearful, alike, brownie, contentment, entirely

Next steps

How to participate in CREST International Spell Bee

The CREST International Spell Bee (CSB) is conducted in two editions – CREST International Spell Bee - Summer (CSB) and CREST International Spell Bee - Winter (CSBW) – giving students across the globe an opportunity to showcase and enhance their spelling proficiency. Designed for young learners from Senior KG to Class 8, the competition focuses on word-building, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, helping students develop strong linguistic skills.

Steps to Participate:

Step 1: Visit the registration page and complete the registration with your desired subject.

Step 2: After Registration done, do login at www.crestolympiads.com/login.

Step 3: After login, go to dashboard and click on Book slot/Take Exam

Step 4: Schedule your exam date and preferred time.

Step 5: Log in with your credentials on the exam day at the scheduled time and take the exam.

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