worksheets library | Compound Words Worksheets - Free Printable

Final Answer:
1. afternoon
2. eyestrain (or eyeball — but “eyestrain” is more accurate; however, based on the sentence, “eyeball” is not a compound word; the compound is *television* → but instruction says “circle the compound word or words”, and *television* is one word, not compound in modern usage — wait, let’s carefully analyze each sentence for true compound words as taught in elementary/middle school: compound words = two base words joined, like *swimming practice*, *lifeboat*, *backbone*, *toothpick*, *football*, etc.)

Let’s go sentence by sentence, identifying actual compound words (two words combined to make one new word — e.g., *backpack*, *toothpick*, *lifeboat*, *football*, *hamburger*, *earthquake*, *sunlight*, etc.):

1. “In the afternoon I will immediately arrange a meeting with my friend.”
→ afternoon (after + noon) ✔

2. “I agree that watching too much television may hurt your eyeball.”
→ *television* is often considered a single word, not a compound in modern usage; *eyeball* = eye + ball → ✔ eyeball
But note: many curricula still treat *television* as compound (tele + vision). However, the example given (“today” from “Today is my swimming practice”) shows they accept *today* (to + day) — so likely they want clearly fused compounds. Let’s check standard 5th–7th grade expectations: common compounds include *afternoon*, *eyeball*, *thunderstorm*, *telephone*, *butterflies*, *backpack*, *earthquake*, *hamburger*, *backbone*, *toothpick*, *football*, *lifeboat*, *conversation*.

Wait — *conversation* is not a compound (con + vers + ation), it’s derived, not two free words. *Swimming practice* in example is two separate words, but they circled *today* — so they’re looking for one-word compounds.

Re-examining Example A:
“Today is my swimming practice.” → Answer: today
So they consider *today* a compound word (to + day), even though it’s one word. So they accept fused compounds.

Now list correct compound words per sentence (one per sentence, as typical for this worksheet):

1. afternoon
2. eyeball (eye + ball) — though some might say *television*, but *eyeball* fits pattern like *today*
3. thunderstorm (thunder + storm) ✔
4. *meanwhile* is a compound (mean + while) ✔
5. telephone (tele + phone) ✔
6. butterflies (butter + flies) — but it’s plural; still a compound ✔
7. backpack (back + pack) ✔
8. earthquake (earth + quake) ✔
9. hamburger (ham + burger) ✔
10. backbone (back + bone) ✔
11. *president* is not compound; *leadership* = leader + ship → ✔ leadership
12. toothpick (tooth + pick) ✔
13. football (foot + ball) ✔
14. lifeboat (life + boat) ✔
15. conversation — debatable; better: *bedroom* would be clear, but it says *bedroom*? No — “in my bedroom” — oh! Sentence 15: “I had to have a conversation in my bedroom.” → bedroom (bed + room) ✔

So the intended answers are likely:

1. afternoon
2. eyeball
3. thunderstorm
4. meanwhile
5. telephone
6. butterflies
7. backpack
8. earthquake
9. hamburger
10. backbone
11. leadership
12. toothpick
13. football
14. lifeboat
15. bedroom

Yes — *bedroom* is clearly a compound and appears in sentence 15.

Final Answer:
1. afternoon
2. eyeball
3. thunderstorm
4. meanwhile
5. telephone
6. butterflies
7. backpack
8. earthquake
9. hamburger
10. backbone
11. leadership
12. toothpick
13. football
14. lifeboat
15. bedroom