Subtraction Worksheets

Are you looking for free subtraction worksheets to give you or your students additional practice with subtraction? We have a wonderful assortment of subtraction worksheets to give your students plenty of practice.  Check these out!

These free math worksheets below will help your children become masters of subtraction.  Starting with simple single-digit subtraction, your students will work their way up through more complicated problems featuring additional digits and borrowing.  When they’re ready, you can help them take to another level by introducing fractions and decimals into the mix.

 

Subtraction

Subtraction, a branch of Arithmetic, is one of our oldest forms of mathematics.  The minus sign ‘-‘ was first used in Germany.  It was placed on barrels to indicate that the barrels were not filled all the way to capacity.

Subtraction is viewed as the opposite of addition and it typically involves “taking away” one number from another number.  In fact, the word literally means to take away (tract) the bottom number (sub).  In subtraction, you take the minuend minus the subtrahend to calculate the difference.  In the example 12 – 4 = 8, 12 is the minuend, 4 is the subtrahend, and 8 is the difference.

Similar to division, subtraction is neither commutative or associative.  This means that, in subtraction problems, if the minuend and subtrahend are reversed, the resulting difference will be…different.  In other words, twelve minus eight will not result in the same answer as eight minus twelve.  Also, grouping the same numbers in different ways with parentheses and brackets will also change the result.  (12 – 8) – 3 = 1 but 12 – (8 – 3) = 7.

The concept of subtraction is often introduced as early as pre-school, where students are asked to perform such tactile experiments as taking twelve red blocks, removing four red blocks and counting how many red blocks are left over.  Subsequently, students begin substituting a number line for the objects.  With a number line, students start at the minuend, “jump back” the same number of spaces as the subtrahend, and stop a number that represents the difference.  Eventually students begin to use vertical subtraction algorithm, similar to the addition algorithm, in  which the minuend and subtrahend are aligned vertically by place value.  Starting with left-most (lowest) place value, each place value is subtracted from the one above; and when necessary, values are “borrowed” from the next place value.

Like most basic math skills, subtraction is a part of our daily life.  We use it everyday in school or at our jobs.  We use it for simple tasks such as shopping, planning a vacation, or counting how many minutes are left in Social Studies class.  Mastering subtraction quite a bit of practice, but is more than worth the effort.

Subtracting Whole Numbers

Single-Digit Online Subtraction Practice Activity – Save paper and practice subtraction online with the awesome imathworksheet. Click below for free online subtraction practice activity. You can even print results or embed this worksheet on your website.
Online Subtraction Practice Activity | imathworksheet

Single-Digit Online Subtraction Practice Activity 2
Online Subtraction Practice Activity 2 | imathworksheet

Single-Digit Subtraction Worksheet – Here is a twenty problem worksheet featuring simple single-digit subtraction problems with no borrowing necessary.
Single-Digit Subtraction Worksheet RTF
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Double-Digit Subtraction Worksheet (No Borrowing) – Here is a fifteen problem worksheet featuring simple double-digit subtraction problems with no borrowing necessary.    Double-Digit Subtraction Worksheet RTF
Double-Digit Subtraction Worksheet PDF
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Subtracting Fractions

Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 1 – Here is a twenty problem worksheet that will allow your students to practice subtracting simple fractions.  These exercises feature fractions with common denominators and differences that will not need to be simplified.
Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 1 RTF
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Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 2 – Here is a twenty problem worksheet that will allow your students to practice subtracting simple fractions.  These exercises feature fractions with common denominators and differences that will need to be simplified.
Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 2 RTF
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Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 3 – Here is a ten problem worksheet that will allow your students to practice finding common denominators and subtracting fractions.  These exercises feature fractions with different denominators and differences that will not need to be simplified.
Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 3 RTF
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Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 4 – Here is a ten problem worksheet that will allow your students to practice finding common denominators and subtracting fractions.  These exercises feature fractions with different denominators and differences that will need to be simplified.
Subtracting Fractions Worksheet 4 RTF
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