Which shapes and answers should we expect?

Square 4, rectangle 2, equilateral triangle 3, rhombus 2, trapezoid 1, pentagon 5, hexagon 6, octagon 8, and a scalene triangle with 0, so counting carefully matters more than guessing.

Why doesn't a rectangle have four lines like a square?

Fold one and see. The diagonal folds leave corners hanging over the edges. Only the two folds through the middles of the sides land the halves exactly on each other.

4th grade lines of symmetry

4th grade lines of symmetry worksheets

Lines of symmetry worksheets for fourth grade show one shape per problem (squares, rectangles, triangles, trapezoids, and regular polygons) and ask how many lines of symmetry it has. Answers run from zero for a scalene triangle to eight for a regular octagon.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 4.G.A.3.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of problems you'll get

Write the number of lines of symmetry for each shape.

A point is 3 grid squares left of a vertical mirror line.
Answer: Its reflection is 3 squares right of the line, at the same height.

Most problems on this sheet sit beside a picture, model or diagram, so this is the worked example the sheet itself prints. The answer key on page two prints the answer under every problem.

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on a 4th grade sheet

The sample sheet above has 12 problems. Its answers run from 0 to 4.

Lines of symmetry. Write the number of lines of symmetry for each shape. 12 problems per page.
Drawing lines of symmetry. Draw one line of symmetry on each shape. More than one correct line may be possible. 5 problems per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key after the problems.

How to teach this

The move that settles every argument is the fold: trace the shape, cut it out, and try each fold your child proposes. For the rectangle-versus-square trap, fold a paper rectangle along the diagonal and let the mismatched corners speak for themselves. The trapezoid on these sheets is the symmetric kind, with one vertical fold, and the scalene triangle is there so zero becomes a real answer, not a trick.

Watch for: Kids give a rectangle four lines of symmetry like a square. The diagonal folds don't match up; only the two middle folds do. Kids assume every shape has at least one line of symmetry. A scalene triangle has none, because no fold lands its sides on each other.

Common questions about 4th grade lines of symmetry

Which shapes and answers should we expect?: Square 4, rectangle 2, equilateral triangle 3, rhombus 2, trapezoid 1, pentagon 5, hexagon 6, octagon 8, and a scalene triangle with 0, so counting carefully matters more than guessing.
Why doesn't a rectangle have four lines like a square?: Fold one and see. The diagonal folds leave corners hanging over the edges. Only the two folds through the middles of the sides land the halves exactly on each other.

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Aligned to Common Core 4.G.A.3. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated September 2026.

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