To hand out means to give things to multiple people, distributing items one by one. When a teacher hands out worksheets, she walks around the room giving each student a copy. When volunteers hand out food at a shelter, they give meals to people who need them. When someone hands out flyers on a street corner, they offer printed papers to anyone passing by.

The phrase suggests a simple, direct kind of giving: taking something from your hands and putting it into someone else's hands. It's different from just leaving things in a pile for people to grab themselves. If your mom bakes cookies and hands them out at your soccer game, she's actively giving one to each player rather than just setting down a plate.

You can also use hand out when someone distributes consequences or judgments. A judge might hand out a sentence. A referee might hand out penalties to players who break the rules. In these cases, you're still “giving” something to people, even if it's not a physical object they want.

The past tense is handed out: “She handed out the birthday party invitations yesterday.”