The worksheet generator on this page produces 1st grade math word problems worksheets with real, freshly randomised numbers — 20 of them per sheet by default — plus the answer key a parent or teacher needs to mark it quickly. The version loaded below opens with items in the shape of “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?” and “Liam saved 17 points and spent 10. How many points remain?”; the key lists 17 and 7 next to their question numbers.
‘New set of problems’ opens the generator in its own tab. There you can change the problem count and turn the answer key on or off. ‘Print or save as PDF’ opens the print dialog — choose Save as PDF in the printer list to keep the file. The sheet fits US Letter and A4, and the answer key prints on its own page.
The reliable routine is to read it twice, say what is being asked in your own words, write the number sentence, then calculate. Skipping straight to the numbers is what produces confident wrong answers.
A word problem tests two things at once: whether the child can choose the operation, and whether they can carry it out. On a problem like “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?”, the arithmetic behind 17 is usually the easy part.
Key words help and mislead in roughly equal measure. 'Altogether' usually means add and sometimes does not, so the child still has to picture the situation.
Because the names, objects and numbers regenerate, the child cannot recognise a problem type by its wording alone.
These 1st grade math word problems worksheets are commonly aligned with the problem-solving expectations for this grade, and the skill appears in most curricula somewhere around this point.
| # | Problem | Answer | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now? | 17 | Watch for: missing a step in a two-step problem |
| 2 | Liam saved 17 points and spent 10. How many points remain? | 7 | Check: grabbing the numbers and guessing the operation |
| 3 | Liam had 12 cards and was given 12 more. How many cards now? | 24 | Look at: being thrown by unfamiliar names or objects |
| 4 | There were 10 seats. 5 were taken. How many seats are empty? | 5 | Ask about: dropping the units |
| 5 | A box holds 12 stickers. Another box holds 11. How many altogether? | 23 | Watch for: not checking whether the answer is sensible |
| 6 | Liam had 15 stickers and gave away 10. How many are left? | 5 | Check: answering a different question |
A good first problem to do together is “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?”, which comes out at 17. Do “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?” once with the child narrating, then hand over the pencil and start the clock on the other 20 problems.
Take the first problem on the sheet as it stands, “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?”. Work “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?” out on paper rather than in your head the first few times, say each step aloud, and check the result against 17 on the key before moving on.
The answer key is generated with the worksheet, not written by hand, so it always matches the sheet in front of you — “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?” is listed as 17, “Liam saved 17 points and spent 10. How many points remain?” as 7, and so on down the page.
The key prints on its own page by default. Uncheck the answer-key box before printing if you would rather keep it back and mark the sheet yourself.
To save these 1st grade math word problems worksheets instead of printing them, choose 'Save as PDF' in the printer list. You get the worksheet and the answer key as a single PDF, on Letter or A4 depending on your printer settings.
For a class set, print one sheet, press the new-worksheet button and print again. Each child gets different numbers on the same skill, so nobody can copy the answer to “Zoe had 11 shells and was given 6 more. How many shells now?” from a neighbour.
Print a sheet of 1st grade math word problems worksheets, run it for 12 minutes, mark it together, and come back tomorrow for a different set of numbers on the same skill.
→ Free 1st Grade Math Worksheets · → Free Word Problems Worksheets
Free printable math worksheets from a working math academy director in Korea. Problems come from our own code, not from a published workbook. Every sheet prints on US Letter or A4 with its answer key. All worksheets · Worksheet generator · Korean site
Last updated: 2026-09-13