2nd Grade Addition & Subtraction Word Problems Worksheet
Read each problem, decide whether to add or subtract, then solve and label the answer.
- Homework
- Review
- Test Prep
- Intervention
Download the Free Printable PDF
No sign-up required. Clean, low-ink US Letter format.
- Grade
- 2nd Grade
- Subject
- Math
- Skill
- Word Problems
- Topic
- addition and subtraction word problems within 100
- Difficulty
- Standard
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Pages
- 2 (incl. answer key)
- Format
- Printable PDF (US Letter)
- Answer key
- Included
- Best for
- homework, review, test prep, intervention
Worksheet details
What This Worksheet Practices
Students will solve one- and two-step word problems by choosing addition or subtraction.
- Choosing add or subtract from the story
- Solving within 100
- Labeling answers with the unit
Inside This Printable
Student directions: Read each problem. Write a number sentence, solve, and label your answer.
Worked example
There were 24 apples and 8 more were added: 24 + 8 = 32 apples.
Sample questions
- There were 24 apples in a basket. 8 more were added. How many apples now?
- A library had 45 books on a shelf. 17 were borrowed. How many are left?
- Mia had 32 stickers and gave 15 to a friend. How many does she have now?
The PDF contains 6 practice questions plus 2 challenge questions.
Worksheet Preview
The hard part is choosing the operation
In second-grade word problems, the arithmetic is usually the easy part — the real skill is deciding whether to add or subtract. Stories that put amounts together call for addition; stories that take away or compare call for subtraction. Reading carefully for that signal is what these problems build.
How to use it
A reliable routine: underline the question, circle the numbers, then ask “are we putting together or taking apart?” Have students write a number sentence and label the answer (apples, books, riders) so the result stays connected to the story. The challenge problem adds a second step — a preview of multi-step problems ahead.
👩🏫 Teacher note
Have students underline the question and circle the numbers, then ask: are we putting together (add) or taking apart / comparing (subtract)? Watch for the two-step challenge.
🏠 Parent note
Ask: is the total getting bigger (add) or smaller (subtract)? Then solve and write what the number means.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Adding when the problem calls for subtraction (or the reverse)
- Forgetting the second step in a two-step problem
Answer Key
Each answer shows the number sentence and the labeled result.
⬇ Download Answer Key (PDF)Learn this skill first
Take the free lesson on word problems — worked examples and practice exercises, then come back to this worksheet.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this worksheet free to download?
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Does it come with an answer key?
Yes — a complete answer key is included.
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