Grade 1 Subtraction Stories Worksheets
Take-away word problems where a different part of the story is missing each time.
Every sheet below is generated fresh with a matching answer key. Pick one of the three levels, preview it, and print or download the PDF — no account, no watermark. For the other grade 1 subtraction skills, see all subtraction worksheets.
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Subtraction · Grade 1
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Grade 1 · 4 pages · A4What each level generates
Grade 1 subtraction stories — the exact skill behind each difficulty setting, straight from the generator.
- Level 1How many are left
- Level 2How many were given away
- Level 3How many at the start
Grade levels follow the progression common to most English-language curricula — not one specific national curriculum. Every level shows exactly what it generates, so you can check the fit with your own program. See the full scope & sequence →
More Grade 1 subtraction skills
Each one generates a different kind of question, with its own three levels and answer key.
- Take-Away FactsThe basic subtraction facts, from the smallest ones up to crossing a ten.
- Counting Up to SubtractFill in the jump: counting up from the smaller number instead of taking away.
- Subtract Without RegroupingColumn subtraction where every digit on top is big enough — no borrowing needed.
- Missing NumberFill in the number that makes the subtraction true, wherever the gap is.
- Ten LessMental jumps: counting back in tens and taking away whole tens.
- How Many MoreComparing two amounts and finding the difference between them.
Frequently asked questions
▸What subtraction should a Grade 1 student know?
By year-end, most curricula expect fluent subtraction within 10 and reliable strategies for facts within 20. Speed with the harder teen facts is typically a Grade 2 goal.
▸How does subtraction relate to addition in Grade 1?
They are taught as inverse operations: 13 − 5 is solved by asking what adds to 5 to make 13. Practising fact families together — 5 + 8, 8 + 5, 13 − 5, 13 − 8 — builds both at once.
▸How do I print an answer key?
Tick the answer key box before downloading. The key prints on its own separate page with numbered answers, so you can hold it back while your child works.
▸Can I reprint the exact same worksheet later?
Yes. The link stores your exact worksheet — bookmark or share it and the identical problems and answer key come back, which makes fair re-tests easy.
▸When should my child move on from take-away facts?
When take-away facts are answered quickly without finger-counting — usually toward the end of Grade 1. Then open the Subtract Without Regrouping page for a gentle preview of Grade 2 column work.