1st Grade Addition and Subtraction Word Problems Worksheets

Press Print for six mixed stories within 20, with a key, or pick one kind under Sheet type.

Sheet type

Problems

Answer key

6 problems. Crickets, raisins and snow boots: add or subtract? Within 20. Sheet 3KN3M6, with its answer key.

Crickets, raisins and snow boots: add or subtract? Within 20

Name Date Score / 6

Read each problem. Work it out in the space, then write the answer.

1.11 pigeons peck at crumbs. 3 flap away. How many pigeons are still pecking?Answer: _____
2.12 boots stand by the door. 10 are rain boots and the rest are snow boots. How many are snow boots?Answer: _____
3.Omar has 11 shells and Priya has 2. How many more shells does Omar have?Answer: _____
4.Ava stacks 7 square blocks and 9 round blocks. How many blocks does Ava stack?Answer: _____
5.Maya has 18 raisins and feeds 6 of them to a hamster. How many raisins does Maya keep?Answer: _____
6.2 crickets chirp in the grass. 4 more hop over to join them. How many crickets are in the grass now?Answer: _____

Sheet 3KN3M6 · Made at homeroomtools.com

Answer key. Crickets, raisins and snow boots: add or subtract? Within 20

1.11 pigeons peck at crumbs. 3 flap away. How many pigeons are still pecking?Answer: 88 + 3 = 11
2.12 boots stand by the door. 10 are rain boots and the rest are snow boots. How many are snow boots?Answer: 210 + 2 = 12
3.Omar has 11 shells and Priya has 2. How many more shells does Omar have?Answer: 99 + 2 = 11
4.Ava stacks 7 square blocks and 9 round blocks. How many blocks does Ava stack?Answer: 167 + 9 = 16
5.Maya has 18 raisins and feeds 6 of them to a hamster. How many raisins does Maya keep?Answer: 1212 + 6 = 18
6.2 crickets chirp in the grass. 4 more hop over to join them. How many crickets are in the grass now?Answer: 62 + 4 = 6

Sheet 3KN3M6 · Made at homeroomtools.com

Next step Addition sheets without stories Grade 1 subtraction sheets without stories

How it works

Each 1st grade story problem worksheet here stays within 20, as Common Core grade 1 does. The page opens on six stories that mix adding and subtracting, about crickets, raisins and snow boots.

Read the full guide

What grade 1 stories cover

Common Core 1.OA.1 names five kinds of story within 20: adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart and comparing, with the unknown in any place. The Sheet type menu has sheets for each, and 1.OA.2 adds stories with three addends.

Addition first, or mixed

The free addition word problems worksheets for 1st grade are in the second group: totals to 10, then 11 to 20. On the mixed sheet the key of a subtracting story shows the answer and its addition fact, such as 6 + 9 = 15.

Print with the key

Print gives one page with Name, Date and Score lines. The key prints as the last page; uncheck Answer key to leave it off.

In Shells, toys and nests: who has more, who has fewer? nothing is taken away, only compared.
The two Fill in sheets ask for the whole number sentence, not only the answer.

Questions and answers

Are there 1st grade subtraction word problem worksheets here?

Yes, the third group: how many are left within 10, then from 11 to 20, the rest of a group, and a sheet that asks for the whole subtraction sentence. Each opens with six stories and prints with its key.

Can I print a 1st grade word problem worksheets packet?

There is no one-press packet. Print one sheet from each of the six groups, each with its key, and staple them. Press Make a new sheet between prints for different numbers.

Are there word problem worksheets with pictures for 1st grade?

Yes, the last group. One sheet draws two groups in rows of five above an adding story. The other draws 11 to 20 things in ten frames for the pupil to cross out. Both open with four stories.

Are these math worksheets for 1st grade story problems only?

Yes. Every sheet is stories, one step each, with sums and differences within 20. Plain addition and subtraction facts are on the addition and subtraction pages linked below.

What are the kinds of 1st grade word problems?

Common Core lists adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart and comparing. In adding-to and taking-from stories the unknown can be the result, the change or the start, so a story for 6 + ? = 15 is grade 1 work too.

All 18 sheet types

Addition and subtraction word problems within 20 1

Crickets, raisins and snow boots: add or subtract? Within 20 The sheet this page opens on: adding stories and subtracting stories mixed, all within 20. Uma has 15 raisins and feeds 9 of them to a hamster. How many raisins does Uma keep? The answer is 6, and the key also prints 6 + 9 = 15. For a subtracting story the key gives the answer and the addition fact that holds the same three numbers. Common Core grade 1 (1.OA.1).

Addition word problems for 1st grade 5

Fill in ___ + ___ = ___ for each adding story Under each adding story the sheet prints ___ + ___ = ___ in place of an answer line. Uma has 6 striped marbles and 9 plain marbles. How many marbles does Uma have? 6 + 9 = 15. The key shows the sentence filled in.
Otters, toy cars and leaf prints again: totals from 11 to 20 The same six stories with totals from 11 to 20. Uma tapes 12 leaf prints to a window. Then Uma tapes up 4 more. How many leaf prints are on the window? 12 + 4 = 16.

Show all 18 sheet types (15 more)

Addition word problems for 1st grade, continued

Otters, toy cars and leaf prints: joining stories, sums to 10 Something joins a group, and no total passes 10. Uma tapes 5 leaf prints to a window. Then Uma tapes up 3 more. How many leaf prints are on the window? 5 + 3 = 8. A first sheet of adding-to stories.
Picnic things, fruit and pets: three amounts in one story Three amounts in each story and a total of 20 or less, as Common Core 1.OA.2 asks. Uma hops 3 times, skips 3 times and jumps 2 times. How many moves does Uma make? 3 + 3 + 2 = 8.
Two kinds together within 20: marbles, slices and flowers Two kinds of thing are counted as one group; nothing joins and nothing leaves. A vase holds 6 yellow flowers and 9 pink flowers. How many flowers are in the vase? 6 + 9 = 15. Common Core calls this putting together.

1st grade subtraction word problems 4

Fill in ___ − ___ = ___ for each story about what is left Under each story about what is left the sheet prints ___ − ___ = ___. Uma builds 18 sand castles. A wave washes 4 away. How many sand castles still stand? 18 − 4 = 14. The key shows the sentence filled in.
The rest of the group within 20: socks, hats and nails A group and one part of it are given, and nothing goes away. 18 fish swim in a tank. 4 are goldfish and the rest are guppies. How many fish are guppies? 18 − 4 = 14. Common Core calls this taking apart.
Turtles, pretzels and paper boats: how many are left, from 11 to 20 The same six stories starting from 11 to 20. Uma builds 13 sand castles. A wave washes 6 away. How many sand castles still stand? 13 − 6 = 7.
Turtles, pretzels and paper boats: how many are left, within 10 Some go away and the story asks how many are left, starting from 10 or fewer. Uma builds 8 sand castles. A wave washes 5 away. How many sand castles still stand? 8 − 5 = 3.

Comparing: how many more, how many fewer 2

Shells, toys and nests: who has more, who has fewer? One amount and the difference are given, and the story asks for the other amount. The oak tree has 17 nests. The pine tree has 8 fewer nests. How many nests does the pine tree have? The answer is 9, and the key also prints the subtraction that links the three numbers, 17 − 9 = 8.
Spots, jumps and towers: how many more, how many fewer? Two amounts are compared and nothing is added or taken. Uma finds 17 pebbles. Omar finds 9 pebbles. How many fewer pebbles does Omar find? 17 − 9 = 8. Some stories ask how many more and some how many fewer.

The missing part or the start 4

Buttons, ants and twigs: how many more came? More join a group, and the amount that joined is missing. Uma has 6 buttons in a tin. Uma drops in more buttons and counts 15. How many buttons did Uma drop in? The answer is 9, and under it the key prints the whole addition, 6 + 9 = 15.
Ducks, stickers and snails: how many before more came? The amount at the start is missing: some were there, more came, and the total is given. Some ducks sit by a lake. 9 more ducks come. Now there are 15 ducks. How many ducks were there at first? The answer is 6, and the key also prints 6 + 9 = 15. Pupils often add the two numbers they see.
Moths, peas and jars: how many before some went away? The amount at the start is missing: some went away and the rest is given. Some moths rest on a porch light. 4 flutter off. 14 moths are left. How many moths were on the light at first? The answer is 18, and the key also prints 18 − 4 = 14. A take-away story that is solved by adding.
Pears, crackers and sheep: how many went away? Some go away, and the amount that went is missing. 18 pears sit in a bowl. Some are eaten at lunch. 14 pears are still in the bowl. How many pears were eaten? The answer is 4, and the key also prints 18 − 4 = 14.

Word problems with pictures to count 2

Picture stories: count two groups and add, sums to 18 Each box draws two groups of the same thing in rows of five, with a putting-together story under them. Quinn has 5 stars. Kira has 5 stars. How many stars do the two have together? The answer is 10. No group is larger than 9, and the pupil can count the pictures to check.
Picture stories: cross out to take away from 11 to 20 Each box draws 11 to 20 things in two ten frames above a take-away story. There are 13 stars in a box. Quinn takes 6 out. How many stars are left in the box? The answer is 7. The pupil crosses out what is taken, and the key shows the crosses.

How this list was compiled: Sheet types, stories and descriptions are our own work, written in October 2026. The sheet maker deals the numbers and names of every problem and works each answer out from them. On 2026-10-03, 3,904 problems on 560 sheets from every sheet type were dealt and each answer was checked a second way, against the numbers printed in the story and the number sentence of the key: 0 wrong. The story kinds and the grade limits were read on 2026-10-03 in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, https://www.thecorestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/Math_Standards1.pdf : grade 1, Operations and Algebraic Thinking, standard 1 (use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions) and standard 2 (word problems that call for addition of three whole numbers whose sum is less than or equal to 20). The standards are free to read and are copyright of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Neither body has reviewed these sheets, and naming a standard does not mean anyone has approved a sheet. Licence: own work