How do you teach subtraction across zeros?

Subtracting across zeros (like 400-168) is one of the hardest subtraction skills. Students must regroup multiple times since they cannot borrow from zero. Use base-ten blocks to show the trading process physically. Worksheets that break the process into explicit steps prevent common errors.

What strategies help third graders with multi-digit subtraction?

Key strategies include the standard algorithm with regrouping, counting up from the smaller number, using a number line, and estimation to check reasonableness. Worksheets that practice each strategy separately help students find the approach that works best for them.

3rd Grade Subtraction facts Worksheets

Ages 8-9 · Free previews · Print-ready PDFs

Written by Sarah Chen, Curriculum Developer, M.Ed.

Free printable subtraction facts worksheets for 3rd grade students (Ages 8-9). All worksheets are aligned to Common Core standards and ready to print.

3rd Grade Math Subtraction Subtraction facts Clear All

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Drone$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Drone

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Duck$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Duck

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Machine$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Machine

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Purple Guy$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Purple Guy

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Robot$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Robot

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Robot Clown$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Robot Clown

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Robot Drawing$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Robot Drawing

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Round Robot$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - Round Robot

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - smart watch$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a 2-digit number (no borrowing) - smart watch

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Bee$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Bee

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Elephant$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Elephant

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (no regrouping) - Bat$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (no regrouping) - Bat

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (no regrouping) - Lizard$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (no regrouping) - Lizard

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (with regrouping) - Donkey$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (with regrouping) - Donkey

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (with regrouping) - Zebra$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number (with regrouping) - Zebra

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Two Digit Subtraction - Glove$

Two Digit Subtraction - Glove

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Two Digit Subtraction - Gold Cup$

Two Digit Subtraction - Gold Cup

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Two Digit Subtraction - Muscles$

Two Digit Subtraction - Muscles

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Two Digit Subtraction - Ping Pong$

Two Digit Subtraction - Ping Pong

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Two Digit Subtraction - Rider$

Two Digit Subtraction - Rider

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Two Digit Subtraction - Trail Bike$

Two Digit Subtraction - Trail Bike

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Koala$

Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Koala

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Panda$

Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (missing numbers with regrouping) - Panda

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (with regrouping) - Bear$

Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (with regrouping) - Bear

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (with regrouping) - Tiger$

Subtract 1-digit from a 3-digit number (with regrouping) - Tiger

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Doll$

Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Doll

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Puppet$

Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Puppet

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Happy$

Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Happy

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Surprised$

Subtract whole tens from 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Surprised

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Mental math (with borrowing): Subtracting 2-digit numbers - Finishline$

Mental math (with borrowing): Subtracting 2-digit numbers - Finishline

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSubtraction

$Mental math (with borrowing): Subtracting 2-digit numbers - Flag$

Mental math (with borrowing): Subtracting 2-digit numbers - Flag

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSubtraction

$Mental math (with borrowing): Subtracting 2-digit numbers - Moon$

Mental math (with borrowing): Subtracting 2-digit numbers - Moon

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSubtraction

$Single digit subtraction (with missing numbers) - Crab$

Single digit subtraction (with missing numbers) - Crab

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Single digit subtraction (with missing numbers) - Scorpion$

Single digit subtraction (with missing numbers) - Scorpion

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Single digit subtraction (with missing numbers) - Snake$

Single digit subtraction (with missing numbers) - Snake

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number with missing numbers (no regrouping) - Monkey$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number with missing numbers (no regrouping) - Monkey

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number with missing numbers (no regrouping) - Squirrel$

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number with missing numbers (no regrouping) - Squirrel

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a whole ten - Cow$

Subtract 1-digit from a whole ten - Cow

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 1-digit from a whole ten - Horse$

Subtract 1-digit from a whole ten - Horse

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Coffee$

Subtract 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Coffee

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Juice$

Subtract 3-digit numbers (with regrouping) - Juice

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a whole hundred - Rabbit$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a whole hundred - Rabbit

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from a whole hundred - Snail$

Subtract a 2-digit number from a whole hundred - Snail

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from whole hundreds - Checklist$

Subtract a 2-digit number from whole hundreds - Checklist

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract a 2-digit number from whole hundreds - Ink$

Subtract a 2-digit number from whole hundreds - Ink

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole hundreds from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Guitar$

Subtract whole hundreds from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Guitar

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole hundreds from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Trumpet$

Subtract whole hundreds from 3-digit numbers (no regrouping) - Trumpet

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from 2-digit numbers - Alien$

Subtract whole tens from 2-digit numbers - Alien

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from 2-digit numbers - Monster$

Subtract whole tens from 2-digit numbers - Monster

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from whole tens within 0-1,000 - Giraffe$

Subtract whole tens from whole tens within 0-1,000 - Giraffe

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens from whole tens within 0-1,000 - Kangaroo$

Subtract whole tens from whole tens within 0-1,000 - Kangaroo

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens with missing numbers (0-1,000) - Dolphin$

Subtract whole tens with missing numbers (0-1,000) - Dolphin

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract whole tens with missing numbers (0-1,000) - Lion$

Subtract whole tens with missing numbers (0-1,000) - Lion

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract within 20 - Balloons$

Subtract within 20 - Balloons

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

$Subtract within 20 - Bulb$

Subtract within 20 - Bulb

GradeGrades 2 & 3

TopicSubtraction

More subtraction worksheets

Explore all of our 3rd grade subtraction worksheets, covering subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number, subtract 1-digit number from a 2-digit number (missing number), subtract whole tens from a 2-digit number, subtract whole tens from a 2-digit number (missing number), and more.

Subtract 1-digit from a 2-digit number Subtract 1-digit number from a 2-digit number (missing number)Subtract whole tens from a 2-digit number Subtract whole tens from a 2-digit number (missing number)Subtract whole tens from a 3-digit number Subtract whole tens from a 3-digit number (missing number)Subtract whole hundreds from a 3-digit number Subtract a 2-digit number from whole hundreds Subtract whole hundreds from whole hundreds Subtract whole hundreds from 4-digit numbers Subtract any whole ten number from 1,000 Subtract a 3-digit number from any whole thousand Subtract a 3-digit number from any whole thousand (missing number)Subtract 3-digit numbers Subtract 4-digit numbers Borrow over two zeros Borrow over three zeros Grade 3 subtraction word problems

Frequently Asked Questions

Third graders should fluently subtract within 1,000 using strategies based on place value (CCSS 3.NBT.A.2). They work with three-digit subtraction that may require regrouping across multiple places, including subtracting across zeros.

What is ClassWeekly?

ClassWeekly offers free worksheets and printable learning resources for kids in preschool to grade 5. All worksheets are aligned to Common Core standards and designed by educators. Become a member to access the full library and download unlimited PDFs.