3-digit subtraction worksheets
Subtracting 3-digit numbers with regrouping, including the tricky problems with a zero in the middle, like 503 − 178.
Download the free 3-digit subtraction worksheet (PDF)
3-digit subtraction worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 50 questions on 3-digit subtraction, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grades 2–3, matching Common Core 2.NBT.B.7, 3.NBT.A.2
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Sample questions from this worksheet
- 642 − 629 =
- 118 − 85 =
- 923 − 475 =
- 462 − 273 =
- 339 − 236 =
- 182 − 69 =
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Make a new 3-digit subtraction worksheet
Need another page for extra practice, a retake or a second group in class? The free Mathify Kids test maker builds a fresh 3-digit subtraction worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose Core, Standard or Challenge level, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
3-digit subtraction: a worked example (503 − 178)
503 − 178 ───── 325
- Ones: 3 is less than 8 and there are 0 tens, so borrow from the hundreds.
- 5 hundreds become 4 hundreds, 0 tens become 10 tens, then 9 tens, and 3 ones become 13 ones.
- 13 − 8 = 5, 9 − 7 = 2, 4 − 1 = 3. The answer is 325.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
Zeros in the top number cause most mistakes. If those problems go wrong, practice a few with base-ten blocks first. Ten problems a day works better than a whole sheet at once. Mark them together with the answer key, then ask your child to explain one they got wrong: finding the mistake themselves is where the learning happens.
In class
Use the first row as a warm-up, a full page for independent practice, or five questions as an exit ticket. For a retake or a second group, make a new version with the test maker so every child gets different numbers.
Mistakes to watch for
- Skipping over the zero and borrowing straight from the hundreds without updating the tens.
- Subtracting the top digit from the bottom digit when the top is smaller.
What to practice before and after 3-digit subtraction
- Before: 2-digit subtraction. If this sheet is a struggle, go back a step.
- After: number bonds, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the 3-digit subtraction lesson and the subtraction chart.
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Questions parents ask
Why is subtracting across zeros so hard?
There is nothing to borrow in the tens column, so children have to regroup twice in one step. Showing 503 as 4 hundreds, 9 tens and 13 ones helps.
What grade is this 3-digit subtraction worksheet for?
It is written for grades 2–3 and matches Common Core standards 2.NBT.B.7, 3.NBT.A.2.
Can I get a different version of this 3-digit subtraction worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new 3-digit subtraction worksheet with different numbers every time, at Core, Standard or Challenge level, with its own answer key.