Missing Number Subtraction Worksheet for Class 1
Eight counters are on a table. Some are removed, and five remain. How many were taken away? Missing number subtraction questions encourage children to think about the starting quantity, the quantity removed and the quantity left.
Use this missing number subtraction worksheet for Class 1 to practise finding the unknown number in a subtraction sentence. The worked examples and additional questions below offer support with counters, drawings, number lines and related addition facts. Begin with small numbers before moving to questions within twenty.
What Is a Missing Number in Subtraction?
A missing number question leaves one part of a subtraction sentence blank. Children find the number that makes the complete sentence true. The blank may appear at the beginning, in the middle or after the equal sign.
Missing result: 8 - 3 = ___. We know the starting quantity and how many are removed. Find how many remain.
Missing quantity removed: 8 - ___ = 5. We know the starting quantity and how many remain. Find how many were taken away.
Missing starting quantity: ___ - 3 = 5. We know how many were removed and how many remain. Find the original quantity.
Finding the Missing Result
For 9 - 4 = ___, place nine counters in a row and remove four. Count the five that remain. The missing number is five, so the complete sentence is 9 - 4 = 5.
Children can also draw nine circles, cross out four and count the uncrossed circles. Ask them to explain which part of the drawing shows the starting quantity, the removed quantity and the answer.
Finding How Many Were Taken Away
For 10 - ___ = 6, start with ten counters. Move counters aside until six remain. Four counters have been removed, so the missing number is four. Check by reading the completed sentence: 10 - 4 = 6.
On a number line, begin at ten and count the backward jumps needed to reach six: nine, eight, seven, six. There are four jumps. The missing number represents the number of jumps, rather than the number where you finish.
Finding the Missing Starting Number
For ___ - 2 = 7, seven objects remain after two are removed. Put the two removed objects back with the seven remaining objects. The original group contains nine, so 9 - 2 = 7.
The related addition fact is 7 + 2 = 9. This shows why finding a missing starting quantity uses addition. Encourage children to describe the situation first instead of applying the same operation to every blank.
A Simple Routine for Checking Answers
First, identify what the blank represents. Next, use objects, a drawing or a known number fact to find it. Finally, put the number into the blank and read the whole subtraction sentence aloud.
For example, if a child writes five in 12 - ___ = 8, check 12 - 5. It gives seven, so five does not fit. Try four and check again: 12 - 4 = 8. The equal sign means that the value on the left must match the value on the right.
Extra Missing Number Subtraction Questions with Answers
Fill in each missing number. These additional online questions include missing results, missing quantities removed and missing starting quantities. Complete the questions before opening the answer section.
- 6 - 2 = ___
- 9 - 3 = ___
- 8 - 8 = ___
- 7 - ___ = 5
- 10 - ___ = 6
- 9 - ___ = 9
- ___ - 3 = 4
- ___ - 5 = 5
- ___ - 2 = 0
- 14 - 4 = ___
- 16 - ___ = 11
- ___ - 6 = 12
- 20 - ___ = 10
- ___ - 0 = 15
- A box contains 11 crayons. Some are taken out, leaving 7. How many were taken out?
- Some birds sit on a fence. Three fly away, leaving 6. How many birds were there at first?
View answers to the extra practice questions
1. 4; 2. 6; 3. 0; 4. 2; 5. 4; 6. 0; 7. 7; 8. 10; 9. 2; 10. 10; 11. 5; 12. 18; 13. 10; 14. 15; 15. 4 crayons, because 11 - 4 = 7; 16. 9 birds, because 9 - 3 = 6.
Make a Missing Number Activity with Counters
Count eight counters together. Move some beneath a cup while leaving five visible. Ask, “How many counters are hidden?” The child can use the starting total and the visible group to work out that three are hidden.
Write 8 - ___ = 5 and lift the cup to check. Repeat with a different total, then let your child hide the counters and create a question for you. Keep the starting total known so the hidden quantity can be worked out.
Related Class 1 Maths Worksheets
Subtraction Worksheet for Class 1: Practise taking away and finding what remains. Addition and Subtraction Worksheets: Explore the related facts used to find missing numbers. Numbers 1 to 20 Worksheet: Strengthen counting and number recognition. Before and After Numbers Worksheet: Practise number order for counting forwards and backwards. Browse Class 1 Maths Worksheets: Find more activities for regular practice.Frequently Asked Questions
How do children solve missing number subtraction questions?
First identify whether the blank represents the starting quantity, the quantity removed or the result. Model the situation with objects or a number line, then check the completed sentence.
What if the first number is missing?
Combine the quantity removed with the quantity remaining. For example, in ___ - 4 = 6, add 4 and 6 to find the starting number, 10.
What if the number after the minus sign is missing?
Find how much must be removed from the starting quantity to reach the result. For 9 - ___ = 6, removing three leaves six, so the missing number is 3.
Can zero be the missing number?
Yes. In 5 - ___ = 5, the missing number is zero because nothing is removed. In 5 - 5 = ___, the missing result is zero because all five objects are removed.
How is this different from filling gaps in a counting sequence?
A counting sequence follows an order or pattern. A subtraction question asks for a number that makes an equation true. Children need to consider the operation and both sides of the equal sign.
Where are the answers to the extra questions?
Open the answer section beneath the additional practice questions in this description to check their corresponding answers.
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