Find the Subtrahend (Hundreds)

This subtraction worksheet presents 20 focused problems where the subtrahend is missing in three-digit subtraction equations. Students analyze each equation and determine the value that was subtracted to reach the given difference, reinforcing inverse operations and backward reasoning. The approachable hundreds-level numbers keep cognitive load manageable while still requiring careful thought and precision. A clean horizontal layout helps students track each expression clearly, making this worksheet ideal for warm-ups, skill checks, or independent review.

Instructional Objectives

• Skill Focus (Grades 3-4): Identify missing subtrahends in three-digit subtraction equations accurately.
• Conceptual Understanding (Grades 3-4): Strengthen understanding of inverse operations by reasoning backward from the difference to the subtrahend.
• Algebraic Reasoning (Grades 3-4): Develop early algebraic thinking by maintaining equality and solving for unknown values in equations.
• Curriculum Alignment (Grades 3-4): Supports missing-number subtraction, reasoning with differences, place-value fluency in the hundreds, and operations and algebraic thinking.

The emphasis on finding the subtrahend helps students move beyond routine computation and toward structural understanding of subtraction relationships.

Learning Benefits

• Builds confidence solving subtraction problems with unknown values
• Reinforces inverse-operation reasoning and number sense
• Supports clear tracking and accuracy with a clean layout
• Ideal for warm-ups, independent practice, review, or quick assessments

This printable worksheet delivers targeted, confidence-building practice that helps students master missing-subtrahend subtraction while strengthening place-value understanding and readiness for more advanced equation solving.

This worksheet is part of our Missing Number Subtraction Worksheets collection.