Subtract positive and negative whole numbers
Grade 7 Math Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.
Esme writes a three-number puzzle on the whiteboard. What is (-12) - 7 - (-9)?
Jun draws a long puzzle card from the jar. What is 15 - (-8) - 22?
Kira finds a double-subtraction puzzle in the math book. What is (-30) - (-18) - (-25)?
Luz's quiz team has -8 points. The judge removes a penalty worth -15 points, then removes a bonus worth 10 points. What is the team's score now?
Milo's quiz team has 24 points. The judge removes a bonus worth 31 points, then removes a penalty worth -14 points. What is the team's score now?
Tala fills in a balance puzzle: 8 - ? = 12. What is the missing number?
Bo's boat sails from 2 to 18 on a number line river, then from -11 to -4 on the way back. How many more spaces is the first trip?
Esme's turtle swims from -15 to 8 before lunch and from 5 to 21 after lunch (in meters, up is positive). How many more meters was the first swim?
At 6 a.m. Kira's thermometer read 3°F. At noon it read -8°F. Later minus earlier gives (-8) - 3 = -11. What does the -11 tell us?
- The temperature stayed the same.
- The temperature rose 11 degrees.
- The temperature is -11°F at noon.
- The temperature fell 11 degrees.
Luz's quiz team had 9 points, then 2 points after a hard round. Later minus earlier gives 2 - 9 = -7. What does the -7 tell us?
- The team lost 7 points.
- The team's score did not change.
- The team has -7 points.
- The team gained 7 points.