Shapes Word Search
- CYLINDER
- HEXAGON
- SPIRAL
- ELLIPSE
- CIRCLE
- TRAPEZOID
- STAR
- PYRAMID
- DIAMOND
- CRESCENT
- RECTANGLE
- OCTAGON
Created for free at puzzleandprint.com
Your word search
Shapes Word Search, Answer Key
- CYLINDER
- HEXAGON
- SPIRAL
- ELLIPSE
- CIRCLE
- TRAPEZOID
- STAR
- PYRAMID
- DIAMOND
- CRESCENT
- RECTANGLE
- OCTAGON
Created for free at puzzleandprint.com
Or take one that is already made
Four sheets, each with a different job. Every one is a two-page PDF, the puzzle, then the answer key on its own page.
This list keeps two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional solids together (circle and sphere, square and cube), which is precisely the distinction children are asked to make and reliably muddle.
A finished sheet becomes a sorting exercise: which of these are flat and which are solid? That is a better use of ten minutes than the word hunt on its own.
Shape names carry real mathematical vocabulary (pentagon, hexagon, rhombus), that children meet in geometry long before anyone asks them to spell it.
Drawing each shape as it is found is a better use of the sheet than the puzzle alone, and it costs roughly the same time again for considerably more value.
Common questions
Does this cover the shapes taught at school?
The ones on the large-print sheet do: CIRCLE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE, RECTANGLE, OVAL, STAR and HEART. The later sheets go past the curriculum into RHOMBUS, TRAPEZOID and HELIX, which are there for children who have run out of shapes to be interested in.
Why are CUBE, SPHERE and PYRAMID in with the flat shapes?
Because children meet them together, and the difference is worth pointing at. A circle and a sphere are not the same thing, and a sheet that has both on it makes that easier to say than a sheet that separates them tidily.
How many words can I use?
Up to twenty-five. Ten to fifteen is comfortable for most grids. If you add more than the grid can hold, the tool tells you which words did not fit rather than silently leaving them out.
Why did one of my words not fit?
Either it is longer than the grid is wide, or the grid filled up before it could be placed. Try the next size up, remove a word, or press New puzzle for a different arrangement, a word that fails one layout often places fine in the next.
Can I make it easier for younger children?
Yes. Set difficulty to Easy so words only run left to right and top to bottom, and use a 10 by 10 grid with five to eight short words. That combination is manageable for most children who can read the words on the list.
Is there an answer key?
Always, and it prints on its own page so you can hand out the puzzle without it. Each answer is marked directly on a copy of the grid.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up, no email, and no watermark on the printed sheet. Puzzles are built in your browser, so your word list never reaches us.
Can I use these puzzles in my classroom?
Yes, use them with your class, your family, your club, or your care home, and print as many copies as you need. The one thing we ask is that you do not resell the sheets themselves.
Want to know when new printables go up?
New printables when they go up, mostly seasonal, a few times a year.