Addition & Subtraction Word Problems — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Sort each word problem into the correct category.
Addition Problem
Mia has 23 buttons. She finds 18 more.Leo counted 35 ants and then 26 more.Dad baked 28 muffins and then 33 cookies. Subtraction Problem
A tank has 47 fish. 19 are scooped out.There were 52 balloons. 24 popped.Emma had 61 coins. She spent 37. The addition problems use clue words like "more" and "and then," which mean groups are joining together. The subtraction problems use "scooped out," "popped," and "spent," which all mean things are being taken away.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Mia has 23 buttons. She finds 18 more. She has 41 buttons now.
Mia is finding more buttons, so we add the two amounts together: 23 + 18 = 41 buttons in all.
2. A tank has 47 fish. 19 are scooped out. 28 fish are left.
Fish are being scooped out, so we subtract the amount removed from the starting amount: 47 − 19 = 28 fish remaining in the tank.
3. The word 'altogether' tells you to use addition.
"Altogether" means everything counted as one big group, which is exactly what addition does — it joins all the parts into a total.
4. The word 'remain' tells you to use subtraction.
"Remain" means what is left after some have been taken away, and finding what is left is the job of subtraction.
5. In the problem '35 + 26,' the answer is called the sum.
In any addition problem, the answer you get when you add the numbers together is called the sum, so 35 + 26 = 61 (the sum).
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. The word 'altogether' signals addition.
True False
True — "altogether" asks you to combine everything into one total, and addition is the operation we use to join groups.
2. 47 − 19 = 26.
True False
False — when you subtract 19 from 47 you actually get 28, not 26, so the equation is off by 2.
3. 23 + 18 = 41.
True False
True — adding 23 and 18 gives 41 (3 + 8 = 11, then 20 + 10 + 11 = 41), so the equation balances.
4. The word 'spent' signals addition.
True False
False — "spent" means money or items were used up and taken away, which is a subtraction clue, not an addition clue.