Worksheet + answer key
Animal word search with diagonals
A ten-animal search for solvers ready to look diagonally, followed by an open-ended animal-sorting activity.
- 16 × 16 grid
- 10 words
- Includes down-right diagonals
Ready to print. One worksheet, plus an optional answer page.
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Animals in every direction
Find every word in the list. Look right, down and diagonally down-right.
- OTTER
- BADGER
- RABBIT
- FOX
- DEER
- OWL
- FROG
- TURTLE
- DOLPHIN
- PENGUIN
Animals in every direction
Find every word in the list. Look right, down and diagonally down-right.
- OTTER
- BADGER
- RABBIT
- FOX
- DEER
- OWL
- FROG
- TURTLE
- DOLPHIN
- PENGUIN
Animals in every direction
Keep this page separate from the puzzle.
- 1. OTTERR6 C6 → R10 C6
- 2. BADGERR1 C1 → R6 C1
- 3. RABBITR2 C3 → R7 C8
- 4. FOXR1 C10 → R3 C12
- 5. DEERR13 C7 → R13 C10
- 6. OWLR4 C3 → R6 C3
- 7. FROGR9 C8 → R9 C11
- 8. TURTLER15 C8 → R15 C13
- 9. DOLPHINR3 C8 → R9 C14
- 10. PENGUINR8 C1 → R14 C7
R = row from the top; C = column from the left, starting at 1. Follow each start → end to trace the word. Shared letters are marked once.
Demonstrate the new direction
This sheet adds one diagonal direction to right and down: each next letter may be one cell lower and one cell to the right. Demonstrate that movement with a short example on separate paper. Words do not bend around corners, and this version does not use backwards placements.
Ten animal names fill a 16-by-16 grid. The longer words DOLPHIN and PENGUIN give solvers a reason to check beyond the first few matching letters. Encourage crossing a word off the bank only after checking its final letter.
Choose a sorting rule and explain it
Once all words are found, ask for a sorting rule: animals with feathers, animals that can swim, or animals with shells. These categories can overlap. PENGUIN belongs with feathered animals even though it cannot fly; a DOLPHIN is not a fish simply because it lives in water.
Keep uncertain claims as questions to investigate rather than marking them wrong by guesswork. You can ask participants to choose one animal and find a reliable reference about its habitat later. The worksheet itself does not establish a habitat or diet for each species.
Offer the same vocabulary at a different level
Use Customize this worksheet and choose Easy to keep the animal list while removing diagonal placements. All ten names fit the 12-letter grid width. This lets a mixed-experience group discuss the same animals without needing identical searches.
For a greater search challenge, choose Hard, explain that words can go backwards, and inspect the new answer key before printing. Changing the difficulty changes the arrangement; keep each version with its own answers rather than reusing this page’s key.
You may print or share this worksheet for personal, classroom and other non-commercial activities. See the terms of use. Review the sheet for your group; difficulty is not a certified age or curriculum level.