About this puzzle
Students often know how to do the math long before they can name it, and this puzzle helps close that gap. The list starts with number basics like Even, Odd, and Digit and the four operations, then moves into fractions, decimals, and percents, geometry words like Perimeter, Polygon, and Diameter, and a few pre-algebra terms such as Variable, Integer, and Exponent.
Every word has a short definition, often with a tiny example, so the page doubles as a glossary. Teachers use it as a warm-up, an early-finisher task, or a calm activity before a test. At home it makes a nice break from worksheets, since it practices math words without asking anyone to solve another problem.
The 32 words in this puzzle
Every word, with a short note. Handy for teaching the vocabulary before or after solving.
In every version (12)
- Addition
- Combining numbers to find a total, called the sum. Order does not matter in addition: 3 plus 5 and 5 plus 3 both equal 8.
- Area
- The amount of flat space inside a shape, measured in square units. For a rectangle, multiply the length by the width.
- Division
- Splitting a number into equal groups. The answer is called the quotient, and dividing by zero is undefined because it has no meaningful answer.
- Equal
- Equal means having the same value. Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde invented the equals sign in 1557, choosing two parallel lines because no two things could be more equal.
- Even
- An even number can be split into two equal groups with nothing left over, like 2, 4, 6, and 8. Every even number ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
- Fraction
- A number that names part of a whole. The bottom number, the denominator, says how many equal parts; the top, the numerator, says how many you have.
- Minus
- The minus sign means subtract or take away, as in 9 minus 4 equals 5. It also marks negative numbers, like minus 10 degrees on a very cold thermometer.
- Multiply
- To add equal groups quickly. Multiplying 4 by 3 is the same as adding 4 plus 4 plus 4, and the answer is called the product.
- Number
- A number tells how many or how much. Our everyday number system uses just ten digits, 0 through 9, to write every number, no matter how large.
- Odd
- An odd number has one left over when you split it into two equal groups, like 3, 5, and 7. Adding two odd numbers together always gives an even number.
- Plus
- The plus sign means add, as in 3 plus 2 equals 5. The plus and minus signs first appeared in a printed math book in Germany in 1489.
- Triangle
- A polygon with three sides and three angles. No matter its shape, the three inside angles of a triangle always add up to 180 degrees.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Decimal
- A way to write parts of a whole using place value based on ten. The decimal point separates whole numbers from tenths, hundredths, and so on.
- Digit
- A digit is one of the ten symbols 0 through 9 used to write numbers. The word comes from the Latin digitus, meaning finger, because people first counted on their fingers.
- Equation
- A math sentence showing that two expressions are equal. The equals sign was introduced by Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde in 1557.
- Graph
- A graph shows data as a picture, like a bar graph comparing favorite fruits or a line graph tracking the temperature. It makes patterns easy to spot.
- Percent
- Percent means per hundred. Saying 25 percent is the same as saying 25 out of 100, or one quarter.
- Perimeter
- The total distance around the outside of a flat shape. To find it, add up the lengths of all the sides.
- Subtraction
- Taking one number away from another to find the difference. Subtraction is the inverse of addition, so it can undo it.
- Volume
- How much space a three-dimensional object takes up, measured in cubic units. A box's volume is its length times width times height.
Added in Hard (12)
- Average
- Usually means the mean: add all the values, then divide by how many there are. The average of 2, 4, and 9 is 5.
- Diameter
- A straight line across a circle that passes through its center. The diameter is always twice as long as the radius.
- Exponent
- A small raised number that tells how many times to multiply the base by itself. Two with an exponent of 3 means 2 times 2 times 2, or 8.
- Factor
- Factors are numbers you multiply together to make another number. For example, 3 and 4 are factors of 12, and so are 1, 2, 6, and 12.
- Integer
- Any whole number, its negative, or zero. So negative 4, 0, and 12 are integers, but one half and 2.5 are not.
- Polygon
- A closed, flat shape made of straight sides, like a square, pentagon, or hexagon. The name comes from Greek words meaning many angles.
- Prime
- A prime number is greater than 1 and has exactly two factors: 1 and itself. Two is the only even prime number.
- Quotient
- The quotient is the answer to a division problem. In 20 divided by 4 equals 5, the quotient is 5. The word comes from a Latin word meaning how many times.
- Radius
- The radius is the distance from the center of a circle to its edge. It is always half the diameter, so a circle 10 inches across has a 5 inch radius.
- Ratio
- A ratio compares two amounts. If a recipe uses 2 cups of flour for every 1 cup of sugar, the ratio of flour to sugar is 2 to 1.
- Symmetry
- A shape has line symmetry when it can be folded so both halves match exactly. A butterfly and the letter A are common examples.
- Variable
- A letter or symbol that stands for an unknown or changing number. In x plus 2 equals 7, the variable x is 5.
A few facts to share while you solve
- The Indian mathematician Brahmagupta wrote rules for calculating with zero as a number in the year 628.
- The word googol, meaning 1 followed by 100 zeros, was coined by nine-year-old Milton Sirotta, the nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner.
- Pi is an irrational number, so its decimal digits go on forever without settling into a repeating pattern.
Four versions of this puzzle
Pick a version with the buttons above the grid. Each one has its own grid and answer key, and your progress on each is saved separately in this browser.
| Version | Words | Grid | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 12 | 11 × 11 | The 12 most familiar words, reading forward across and down. |
| Medium | 20 | 14 × 14 | Twenty words across, down and diagonally. No backwards words. |
| Hard | 32 | 16 × 16 | Every word, in all eight directions including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. |
| Large print | 12 | 10 × 10 | The 12 most familiar words on a small grid with big letters. No backwards words. |
Hard and large print versions
Hard math word search: all 32 words on a 16 × 16 grid, hidden forward, backward, up, down and along both diagonals, with filler letters borrowed from the word list. Print it without the word list for an extra challenge. Play the hard version, or see all hard word searches.
Large print math word search: the 12 most familiar words on a 10 × 10 grid, printed with big letters and a big word list, and no backwards words. Play the large print version, or see all large print word searches.
Printing this word search
Press Print / PDF above the puzzle. You get a clean one-page sheet with the title, the grid, a word list with tick boxes, and optional name and date lines. The answer key prints on a second page. Prefer a file? Download it as a PDF or an image to print later or drop into a worksheet. Whatever version is showing on screen is the one that prints, and the large print version prints with bigger letters.
How to play online
- Find a word from the list in the grid. Scanning for its first letter is the quickest way.
- Drag across the word from its first letter to its last. On a phone, you can also tap the first letter, then the last.
- Found words get highlighted and crossed off. Stuck? Hint circles the first letter of a word you haven’t found.
Read the full guide to solving word searches, with tips that make big grids much faster.
Questions and answers
What grade is this math word search best for?
It suits roughly grades 3 to 7. The operation words and shapes match third and fourth grade, while Integer, Variable, and Exponent preview middle school topics. Younger students can solve it on the easy level and skip the notes they have not studied yet.
Why does the list say Multiply instead of Multiplication?
Multiplication is 14 letters long, which is too long to fit the grid comfortably, so the shorter verb form is used. The note still explains the operation and its vocabulary, including the word product.
How can I use this puzzle to review math vocabulary?
After the puzzle is solved, read a definition from the notes aloud and have students hold up or circle the matching word. You can also ask them to draw a quick example for geometry words like Diameter, Perimeter, and Symmetry.
Is there an answer key for this math word search?
Yes. Choose Print / PDF above the puzzle and keep “Add an answer key page” ticked. The key prints on its own page, with every word highlighted. While playing online, Show answers outlines any words you haven’t found yet.
Can I print copies for my class or group?
Yes. Every puzzle on BetterWordSearch is free to print for personal, classroom, library and homeschool use. Print as many copies as you need. To change the words or make several different versions of the grid, use the word search maker.
What changes between Easy, Medium, Hard and Large print?
Easy hides the 12 most familiar words, reading left to right and top to bottom. Medium uses 20 words and adds diagonals. Hard hides all 32 words in every direction, including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. Large print uses the same words as Easy on a small grid and prints with big letters.
