Subtraction within 20 mystery picture worksheets

Worksheets with subtraction within 20 only. The answer is the row, the letter is the column, and the shaded squares build a picture. Mistakes show right away: the square lands outside the shape.

What the worksheets practice

• Subtraction within 10, for example 9 − 5.
• Subtracting from teen numbers across ten, for example 13 − 6.
• Subtraction without crossing ten, for example 18 − 3.

Numbers in the problems go up to 20. The answer is the row number: up to 10 on the 10×10 grid and up to 15 on 15×15.

Sample problems from a worksheet

This is part of a real worksheet. The answer is the grid row, the letter next to the problem is the column, and the child shades that square.

Problem	Answer = row	Shade square
19 − 16	3	J3
11 − 6	5	H5
15 − 3	12	D12
12 − 3	9	K9
15 − 4	11	M11
14 − 5	9	F9
15 − 2	13	J13
17 − 4	13	I13

Which grid and picture to choose

Use 10×10 for a short sheet and 15×15 for a longer one. On the 15×15 grid only pictures that subtraction within 20 can fill without repeating a problem are offered.

There are 84 pictures to choose from (45 black-and-white, 39 in color). Depending on the picture, one worksheet has 22–106 problems.

Subtraction within 20 worksheet FAQ

Worksheets by grade

• Grade 1 – addition and subtraction within 10
• Grade 2 – adding and subtracting to 100, times tables 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10
• Grade 3 – times tables to 10, division, addition and subtraction
• Grade 4 – times tables, division and two-step problems
• Grade 5 – parentheses, order of operations and two-step problems
• All grades on the home page

Practice one skill

• Addition within 10
• Addition and subtraction within 20
• Subtraction within 100
• Multiplication and division facts