What situations do the problems use?

Ones where negative numbers are real: temperature readings, elevations below sea level, golf-style scores relative to par, and money balances that can dip below zero. Two problem types alternate, applying a signed change and finding a signed difference.

Can the answers be negative?

Yes, and that's the point: the numbers are set so every answer lands below zero. The answer key prints the sign with the number, so writing −4 rather than 4 is part of what the sheet checks.

6th grade integer word problems

6th grade integer word problems worksheets

Grade 6 integer word problems use quantities that genuinely go below zero, per 6.NS.C.5: temperatures, elevations and depths, scores relative to par, account balances. One story type starts at a signed value and applies a signed change; the other asks for the signed difference of two values in a stated order. Answers can be negative, and the sign is part of being right.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 6.NS.C.5.

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The kind of problems you'll get

Read each story. Show your reasoning and include the unit in each answer.

The thermometer outside the science classroom read 0 °C at breakfast. By the end of the school day, the reading had changed by -4 °C. What did the thermometer read at the end of the day?
Answer: -4
Camila logs the score changes from two rounds of a card tournament: 7 and -4. What is the first change minus the second change?
Answer: 11
After nine holes of mini-golf, Grace 's score relative to par was 6. The last hole changed the score by 0. What was the score relative to par at the end of the round?
Answer: 6

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 each sheet

Integer word problems. Read each story. Show your reasoning and include the unit in each answer. 5 problems per page.

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

How to teach this

A sketched number line beats every rule about signs. For change problems, mark the start, draw the jump, read the landing. For difference problems, have your child say which value comes first in the subtraction before writing anything, because the order is given by the question and the sign of the answer depends on honoring it. Watch that answers keep their minus sign all the way to the line.

Watch for: Kids drop the minus sign and treat −3 as 3, so a change of +8 gives 11 instead of 5. Where you start matters; mark the starting point on a quick number line before moving. Kids see two minus signs and stop, sure the answer must be negative. Subtracting a negative moves up: −15 − (−40) lands at positive 25. Kids answer distance questions with the wrong sign because they subtracted in the wrong order. The question fixes the order, first value minus second, and the sign of the result is part of the answer.

Common questions about integer word problems

What situations do the problems use?: Ones where negative numbers are real: temperature readings, elevations below sea level, golf-style scores relative to par, and money balances that can dip below zero. Two problem types alternate, applying a signed change and finding a signed difference.
Can the answers be negative?: Yes, and that's the point: the numbers are set so every answer lands below zero. The answer key prints the sign with the number, so writing −4 rather than 4 is part of what the sheet checks.

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Aligned to Common Core 6.NS.C.5. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated September 2026.

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