Subtraction worksheets
Subtraction gets easier when pupils see it as the opposite of addition. Start without regrouping, then practise column subtraction with borrowing.
How to make the worksheet
Choose the number range and whether answers may be negative. Every sheet has an answer key on page two.
Subtraction strategies
Count up instead of down when numbers are close: 52 − 48 → from 48 to 52 is 4. Bridge ten: 13 − 5 = 13 − 3 − 2 = 8. Link to addition: 15 − 8 = ? means 8 + ? = 15.
Worked example step by step
Column subtraction 503 − 267: ones 3 − 7 does not work. The tens are 0, so exchange one hundred for ten tens, then one ten for ten ones. Now: 13 − 7 = 6, 9 − 6 = 3, 4 − 2 = 2. Answer: 236. Check: 236 + 267 = 503.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Many pupils subtract the smaller digit from the bigger in each column (7 − 3 instead of 3 − 7) and get 364 instead of 236. Others forget to cross out and reduce the digit they exchanged from. Always check with addition — the mistake shows at once.
What suits which grade?
Grade 1: within 10 and 20. Grade 2: within 100, first without regrouping. Grade 3: column subtraction with regrouping to 1,000. Grade 4 and up: regrouping across zeros and larger numbers.