Number line subtraction worksheets
Number line subtraction for grades 1 and 2: read hops back and write the subtraction, draw your own hops within 20, then jump back in tens.
Download the free number line subtraction worksheet (PDF)
Number line subtraction worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 24 questions on number line subtraction, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grades 1–2, matching Common Core 1.OA.C.5, 2.NBT.B.5, 2.MD.B.6
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Sample questions from this worksheet
- Jump back 2 tens from 38
- 43 − 30 = ___ Jump back 2 tens from 56
- Jump back 3 tens from 43
- 36 − 10 = ___ 47 − 10 = ___ Jump back 1 ten from 47
- Jump back 1 ten from 36 56 − 20 = ___ 69 − 10 = ___ Jump back 1 ten from 69
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Make a new number line 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 number line subtraction worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose how many questions, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
Number line subtraction: a worked example (12 − 4 on a number line)
- Put your finger on 12.
- Hop back 4 times: 11, 10, 9, 8.
- You land on 8, so 12 − 4 = 8.
What each part practices
- Part A (questions 1–10): Number lines from 0 to 20 with red hops going back. Your child reads where the hops start and how many there are, then writes the subtraction.
- Part B (11–18): Facts to draw: your child marks the start, draws the hops back and writes where they land.
- Part C (19–24): Jumping back in tens from 2-digit numbers, like 56 − 20. Only the tens digit changes, which is the start of mental subtraction.
The answer key on the last page lists every answer in order, so a grown-up or an older child can mark the sheet in a couple of minutes.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
For close numbers like 13 − 11, show your child that counting up from 11 to 13 on the same line is quicker: just 2 hops. 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
- Counting the starting number as the first hop.
- Hopping to the right (that is addition).
What to practice before and after number line subtraction
- Before: subtraction within 10. If this sheet is a struggle, go back a step.
- After: fact families, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the number line subtraction lesson.
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Questions parents ask
Why use a number line for subtraction?
It shows what subtracting does: you move back. The same picture later helps with jumping back in tens, counting up and mental subtraction.
What grade is this number line subtraction worksheet for?
It is written for grades 1–2 and matches Common Core standards 1.OA.C.5, 2.NBT.B.5, 2.MD.B.6.
Can I get a different version of this number line subtraction worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new number line subtraction worksheet with different numbers every time, with its own answer key.