6th grade area of composite figures worksheets

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Find areas of composite figures made from rectangles and triangles. Six problems vary the outlines, proportions and orientations, including stepped figures, attached triangles and cutouts. Easier questions use two parts and whole-number areas. Default and harder questions add three-part figures, inferred measurements and selected fractional lengths.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 6.G.A.1.

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The kind of problems you'll get

Find the area of each figure. Show your work and include square units.

  1. A 6 cm by 4 cm rectangle has a 2 cm by 1 cm corner removed.

    Answer: 6 × 4 − 2 × 1 = 24 − 2 ; 24 − 2 = 22 cm².

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 6th grade sheet

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

How to teach this

Choose a decomposition before calculating. Mark the rectangles and triangles you will use, then read the measurements for each part. A triangle needs its perpendicular height, which may be drawn inside or outside the figure. Multiply its base by that height and divide by two. Add nonoverlapping parts, or subtract a cutout from its enclosing shape. When an edge is missing, recover it from the aligned lengths before finding the area. Use the square unit shown in the problem.

Watch for: Use the perpendicular height of a triangle, not its slanted side. The right-angle marker shows which measurement is the height. Add each region once. For a cutout, subtract its area from the containing figure. Area answers use square units.

Common questions about 6th grade area of composite figures

How does difficulty change the figures?
Easier sheets use two rectangles or a rectangle with a triangle. Default and harder sheets include three-part figures, notches and clipped corners. They also ask for more inferred lengths and selected fractional arithmetic.
Does my child need a formula sheet?
Use rectangle area, length × width, and triangle area, base × perpendicular height ÷ 2. The challenge is choosing the parts and using the correct measurements. The sheet includes a reminder and a worked answer key.

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Aligned to Common Core 6.G.A.1. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated September 2026.

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