Word searchesGrades 2 to 6
Math word search
A word search built from a list of 32 math terms, from add and sum to denominator and probability. It is for elementary and middle school students reviewing vocabulary.
- Type your details or print blank
- Answer key on its own page
- Print or PDF, Letter or A4
- Free, no sign-up
On this page
Math has its own vocabulary, and students who can read the words are better placed to read a word problem. This puzzle uses the page's Math Words theme, so every hidden word is a term a student might meet in class.
What prints
You get a title ("Math Words Word Search"), a one-line instruction, a 14 × 14 grid, then the words to find listed A to Z with tick boxes. Medium level places 16 of the theme's 32 words across, down and diagonally; the second page is an answer key with each word outlined and its letters in bold.
The 32 words include add, sum, plus, zero, odd, even, half, area, line, angle, cube, cone, divide, factor, number, square, circle, product, decimal, percent, median, radius, integer, volume, perimeter, rectangle, hypotenuse, numerator, denominator, remainder, probability and equation. The sheet does not define them, so it works as a review, not a first introduction.
The settings
- Title (optional) suits a heading like "Unit 4 Review".
- Theme is Math Words; 29 other themes and "My own words" are in the menu.
- Difficulty: Easy is 10 × 10 and draws only words of eight letters or fewer (add, sum, area, angle). Medium is 14 × 14. Hard is 17 × 17 and fits 22 words, including long ones such as hypotenuse.
- Large print means a 12 × 12 grid with up to 12 words.
- Lowercase letters gives a small-letter grid and bank.
Classroom ideas
Ask students to say each word's meaning once they find it, or to write one example next to it. Younger children can use Easy and match words to pictures or numbers on the board. Older students can find "numerator" and "denominator" in a grid, then explain the difference to a partner. A grade-level standard such as those on the Common Core site names the skills a term connects to, which helps when picking words to emphasize.
Because the sheet shows only a selection, you can print several versions and get different word sets from the same theme. If you want a specific list, such as only geometry terms, switch the theme to "My own words" and type them.
Worked example: a fifth-grade review station
Ms. Alvarez is setting up stations for a fractions unit. At the puzzle station she prints Medium, titles the page "Fractions and Geometry Words", and keeps the Math Words theme. Her group of four finds 16 words, including numerator, denominator and remainder. She asks them to put a star next to the three words they could not define and bring those to a mini-lesson. The answer key stays at the station for self-checking.
Next steps
Try the math crossword, where plain clues stand in for a word bank, or the printable word search for other subjects.
Sources
- Common Core State Standards Initiative: Mathematics Standards corestandards.org