Subtraction Worksheets
Take-away within 10, facts within 20, and two- and three-digit subtraction with borrowing. Every worksheet is new and comes with an answer key.
Choose a worksheet
Each button opens the generator with the right grade and problem type already chosen. Adjust the number of problems or layout, then click Export as PDF.
Sample problems
A few problems like the ones on these worksheets, with answers. Every worksheet you generate has new numbers.
Kindergarten · Within 10
- 10 − 2 = ___ 8
- 9 − 3 = ___ 6
- 8 − 2 = ___ 6
- 7 − 2 = ___ 5
1st grade · Within 20
- 18 − 4 = ___ 14
- 4 − 2 = ___ 2
- 20 − 15 = ___ 5
- 20 − 7 = ___ 13
2nd grade · 2-digit with borrowing
- 60 − 27 = ___ 33
- 88 − 69 = ___ 19
- 51 − 25 = ___ 26
- 87 − 58 = ___ 29
Why subtraction feels harder than addition
Subtraction asks children to think backwards and, from 2nd grade on, to borrow (regroup) when the top digit is smaller than the bottom one. In 52 − 27 you cannot take 7 from 2, so one ten from the 5 becomes ten ones: 12 − 7 = 5 and 4 − 2 = 2, giving 25. Our 2nd grade subtraction worksheets always include this step.
Teaching tips
- Connect it to addition. "8 − 3 = ?" is the same question as "3 + ? = 8". Missing-number problems build this link.
- Use a number line to show subtraction as distance: 52 − 27 is the jump from 27 up to 52.
- Check by adding. Teach children to add their answer to the number they subtracted; it should give the top number.
Common mistakes
- Subtracting the smaller digit from the larger one in every column (52 − 27 = 35).
- Borrowing but forgetting to reduce the tens digit.
- Trouble borrowing across a zero, as in 304 − 128 — practise this separately with 3rd grade sheets.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between borrowing and regrouping?
They are the same thing. "Regrouping" is the term most US curricula use today; "borrowing" is the traditional name.
Will the answers ever be negative?
No. The generator always puts the larger number first, and 2nd grade borrowing problems never produce zero or negative answers.
Can I mix addition and subtraction?
Yes — choose "Mixed +/−" for a review sheet, or open two worksheets and print them back to back.