By last estimate, over fifty-million crossword puzzles are solved every day.

Seen widely as the most popular type of word game in the world crossword puzzles can be a fun way to help use expand our vocabulary and critically think about word uses at the same time. The words used can fall under a single theme or be big and bold like those found in the New York Times. The first crossword puzzle appeared in eighteenth century England. The first known crossword puzzle book was published just over a hundred years ago in Liverpool England. About ten years later, they began to appear in newspaper publications across the world.

The best way to attack a new crossword puzzle is with pencil. You are most likely bound to make a few mistakes along the way. Always start with words that you know. You can get an idea by briefly reading all the clues. There are bound to be a few that are just simple for you. Once you find your first word, fill those letters into words that build off of your word. This will provide you with hints to help you along the way. If you are really stumped, start with the words with the fewest letters, we tend to recognize those first. As you scroll down the page you will find 60 printable and digital crossword puzzle worksheets that come with a complete answer key. Each crossword puzzle has approximately 115 missing clues that you need to find based on the clue. The top set of crossword puzzles consists of theme-based puzzles they are appropriate for most grade levels and are based more on student interest. We also have worksheets down below that feature puzzles that target grade leveled vocabulary words. The word sets that we explore are based on national word lists. At the high school level, we have included a good number of SAT and ACT word sets that we have used in the past. I think you will find this series of crossword puzzle helpful and super educational.



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Printable Crossword Puzzles Worksheets

Click the buttons to print each worksheet and answer key.

Ball Games Crossword Puzzle

Games You Play with a Ball Crossword Puzzle

You play this on a 100-yard field.

Americans Who Changed the World Crossword

Modern Day Americans Who Changed the World

Complete the puzzle using the first name of the women described below.

Food and Health Crossword

Food and Health Documentaries

Reveals the secrets kept from you by the weight-loss and diet industries.

Government Agencies Crossword

Alphabet Soup: US Government Agencies

The agency that is concerned with housing and homelessness.

Healthiest Vegetables Crossword

The 14 Healthiest Vegetables Crossword Puzzle Worksheet

The leafy green with rainbow-colored stems.

State Nicknames Crossword #1

State Nicknames #1

The Volunteer State.

State Nicknames Crossword #2

State Nicknames #2

Are these official?

U.S. Presidents Crossword

U.S. Presidents

Who ordered the drop of atomic bombs on Japan?

Animals Crossword

Animal Homes and Baby Animals

This is a nice two for one deal.

Character Traits Crossword

Character Traits

Are you supportive, trustworthy and never give up?

Disney Movie Crossword

Disney Movies

What was the first animated feature ever generated completely on computers?

Healthiest Fruits Crossword

Healthiest Fruits Crossword Puzzle

These contain antioxidants that protect cells from oxidative damage.

Gods and Goddesses Crossword

Greek Gods and Goddesses

Who is the god of archery, music, poetry, prophecy, medicine, and the sun?

Roman Names for Gods and Goddesses Crossword

Roman Names for Greek Gods and Goddesses

Which god has no Greek name?

Harry Potter Crossword

Harry Potter Spells

Which spelling makes the target obey every command, one of the three unforgivable curses?

Literature Crossword

Talking about Literature

This is a reference to something well-known that exists outside of the literary work.

Poets Crossword

Famous Poets

Who wrote these famous poems?

NFL - AFC Teams Crossword

NFL - AFC Teams Crossword Puzzle

Complete the puzzle with the names of the American Football Conference (AFC) teams. That is American professional football.

NFL - NFC Teams Crossword

NFL - NFC Teams

Complete the puzzle with the names of the National Football Conference (NFC) teams.

Oxymoron Crossword

Complete the Oxymoron

One word should give it away. This is a great language activity for students.

Phobias Crossword

Do You Know Your Phobias?

What do you fear? These are all names for human conditions that create an overwhelming fear for sufferers. We describe the symptoms.

Zodiac Signs Crossword

Zodiac Signs and Symbols

What month were you born on? Which animal are you?

Let's Cook! Crossword

Let's Cook!

What do you call? -to beat rapidly to incorporate air and to increase volume.

Ocean Crossword

An Ocean of Words

This is an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land.

Silent Letters Crossword

Silent Letters

Words with letters that are very quiet.

Root Words with Bio Crossword

Word Roots: Bio

A major ecological community with distinct climate and flora.

Uncommon Words Crossword

Uncommon Words

A neutral or uncommitted person, especially in politics.

Directional Crossword

Backwards | Forwards

What a great relative position or degree of value in a graded group.

Freedom Crossword

Words of Freedom

This is a contented state of being happy and healthy and prosperous.

Geography Crossword

Geography Crossword Puzzle

A natural flowing streams of fresh water descending from mountains.

Home Crossword

At Home

Words related to your home.

Pet Crossword

Pet Words

These are the sharp curved parts of animal's and bird's feet.

Space Crossword

Outer Space

These are planets that are rocky and Earthlike in size.

Hot Crossword

Ways to Say Hot!

A word for containing or characterized by a great deal of water vapor.

Penguin Crossword

Penguin Puzzle

This is a showy growth of feathers or skin on the head of an animal.

Problems Crossword

Ways to Say You've Got a Problem

This is a situation from which extrication is difficult.

Spooky Crossword

Spooky Words Crossword Puzzle

This is a dead body brought back to life by a supernatural force.

Old Crossword

Out with the Old

All of the vocabulary found here is associated with concept of "old". An example: This word is serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being.

Pirate Crossword

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Example: This is a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid.

Fault Crossword

Words for Finding Fault

An endless sea of negative words that are related to the concept of being at fault.

Punctuation Crossword

Punctuation

Everything in this puzzle is about name different types of punctuation.

Veterans Day Crossword

Veterans Day

Words that relate to veterans.

Study Of Crossword

The Study Of...

We name what these people center their life around to be able to study. A lot of ologys here.

State Study Of Crossword

The State, Quality, or Condition of...

Words that attach themselves to the value of something or the concept of current status.

Roots Words Crossword

Roots Words Crossword Puzzle

We are talking word roots here. This can help students build their base vocabulary.

Middle School Crossword

Middle School Vocabulary Words

Vocabulary words that are perfect for this level.

Middle School Crossword #2

Middle School Part 2

Have another go at it with slightly more difficult terms to work with.

Middle School Crossword #3

Middle School Leveled Vocabulary

Do you know these words? They are the base words that you will find for this grade level range.

1st Grade Crossword

1st Grade Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle

What is a round bump or handle? These are the types of clues that you will find.

2nd Grade Crossword

2nd Grade Vocabulary

This is a piece of something thin hinged on one side that hangs down to cover an opening.

3rd Grade Crossword

3rd Grade Vocabulary

This is an elaborate, beautifully striking thing?

4th Grade Crossword

4th Grade Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle Worksheet

This is wild with fear, anxiety or some other emotion.

5th Grade Crossword

5th Grade Vocabulary

This is a gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, quality, or value.

6th Grade Crossword

6th Grade Vocabulary

This is a category of artistic composition with similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

7th Grade Crossword

7th Grade Vocabulary

A trap for catching animals, typically with a noose of wire/cord.

8th Grade Crossword

8th Grade Vocabulary

An extremely wicked or cruel act, typically one involving physical violence or injury.

9th Grade Crossword

9th Grade Vocabulary

This is an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

10th Grade Crossword

10th Grade Vocabulary Words Crossword Puzzle

This is a person who opposes official policy.

11th Grade Crossword

11th Grade Vocabulary

This is a concise and exact use of words. See if you can determine that clue.

12th Grade Crossword

12th Grade Vocabulary

This is a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument.

What Language Arts Skills Do Crosswords Work On?

Crossword puzzles are a great way to keep kids busy. Puzzle books, anagrams, and word searches are great learning opportunities, allowing children to grow. Moreover, all these language games have a high academic value.

Crosswords are a great option if you want to keep your kids entertained when traveling or help them curb their boredom when it is raining outside.

1. Spelling

They are ideal for helping children learn their spellings. These word puzzles help kids link letters together and repeat the spellings repeatedly. Not only do they help kids recognize words, but children also end up learning the idea of "decoy" words and ensure that they get the right spelling to complete their puzzle.

They require accurate spellings, without which the puzzle cannot be completed. This is a great way to have a little fun teaching children spelling. Moreover, instead of being viewed as a chore, crosswords help kids challenge one another, keeping them motivated.

2. Expand Vocabulary

The more words your child is exposed to, the more he will start to understand and learn, and soon, his vocabulary will surpass your expectations. They are a great way to increase a child's exposure to new and old vocabulary.

Building a child's vocabulary is extremely important as it helps them master various topics and subjects, allowing them to converse with each other and confidently write stories.

If you want your child's vocabulary to broaden, crossword puzzles are an excellent exercise for them. Look for puzzles on a variety of topics so that your child can also expand his general knowledge skills in the process of completing the puzzle.

We recommend keeping a vocabulary nearby when the child is attempting a crossword puzzle and encouraging them to use the internet to search for their words.

3. Problem Solving Skills

They help boost strategic and logical thinking, encouraging students to think creatively. This helps children become better at problem-solving, a skill that will help them for the rest of their lives.

They help children think outside the box as well. When attempting a puzzle, the child will have to interact with it in several ways to sort through clues and use their memory to retrieve vocabulary and spellings they have learned over time.

Moreover, these also help children explore context clues. For instance, if the crossword clue is, "Tony started to climb the _ of the tree," the child will start to remember tree-related vocabulary.

4. Concentration and Focus

One of the language art skills learnt from puzzles is the ability to pay attention. They train the mind to be more focused and teach kids the value of not giving up. They could be challenging and require more than one try, but with practice, children learn to persevere and stick by, rather than giving up.

A creative way is to get your children involved by allowing them to create their word search. They can use words from one of their favorite books. This will make them feel in control and have more fun.

Moreover, you could also get your child to pick out particular word types, for example, nouns and adjectives. The best thing about crosswords is that you can make them as fun or as tricky as you want. We would advise you to build up the difficulty level so that children do not feel demotivated and can solve the crosswords successfully each time.