Map Vocabulary Worksheet - WordMint - Free Printable

Let’s solve this crossword puzzle step by step using the clues given.

We’ll go clue by clue and fill in the answers based on map skills vocabulary.

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Across Clues:

6. “imaginary lines that run east and west” → These are latitudes.
- But wait — let’s check length. The grid for #6 has 7 boxes? Let’s count later. Actually, standard term is “latitude”, but sometimes they say “parallels”. Wait — clue says “lines” plural? No, it says “imaginary lines” — but answer might be singular if it fits. Let’s hold.

Actually, looking at common map vocab:

- Lines running east-west = Latitude (but often referred to as “parallels”)
- Lines running north-south = Longitude (“meridians”)

But let’s look at exact wording:

6. imaginary lines that run east and west → LATITUDE (8 letters?) Wait — let’s count grid spaces.

Looking at the grid (even though we can’t see it clearly from text), we have to rely on typical answers.

Wait — actually, in many elementary maps:

→ East-west lines = Parallels or Latitudes

But let’s try matching with other clues first.

8. “imaginary lines on the earth that run north and south” → That’s LONGITUDE or Meridians

Again, need to match letter count.

9. “WW. northeast, southea” → This looks like “World Wind” directions? Probably COMPASS ROSE? Too long.

Wait — “WW.” likely means “Write Word” — so just write the word for those directions.

Northeast, southeast... these are directions, but more specifically, intermediate directions.

The full set of main + intermediate directions are called POINTS OF THE COMPASS — too long.

Wait — maybe just DIRECTIONS? But that’s vague.

Another idea: “northeast, southeast” — missing “southwest, northwest”? So perhaps the answer is INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS — still too long.

Wait — clue 5 down is “WW. north,south,east,v” — probably “west” cut off. So cardinal directions.

So clue 9 across: “WW. northeast, southea” — likely “southeast” cut off. So intermediate directions.

Common term: ORDINAL DIRECTIONS? Not usually taught that way.

In elementary school, they often call them INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS — but again, length?

Perhaps the answer is simply DIRECTIONS — but that doesn’t fit well.

Wait — another thought: “northeast, southeast” — what do you call those together? Maybe BEARINGS? Unlikely.

Let’s skip and come back.

10. “A tool used to locate directions” → COMPASS

That’s 7 letters. Grid for #10 — let’s assume it fits.

12. “relationship between the size on the map and the actual size” → SCALE

Yes! Map scale. 5 letters.

Now Down clues:

1. “7 landforms” → Hmm. “7 landforms” — maybe it’s asking for a word that represents 7 types? Or perhaps it’s “LANDFORMS” itself? But that’s 9 letters.

Wait — maybe it’s “CONTINENTS”? No, continents aren’t landforms exactly.

Landforms include mountains, valleys, etc. But “7 landforms” — perhaps it’s referring to the fact that there are 7 continents? But continents are not landforms per se.

Wait — maybe it’s a trick. “7 landforms” — could it be “TERRAIN”? No.

Another idea: In some curricula, they teach “7 major landforms” — but the answer might be LANDFORM singular? Doesn’t make sense.

Wait — perhaps it’s “GEOGRAPHY”? No.

Hold on — maybe it’s “EARTH’S SURFACE FEATURES” — too long.

This one is tricky. Let’s look at others.

2. “a map key” → LEGEND

Yes! Map legend explains symbols. 6 letters.

3. “half of the globe” → HEMISPHERE

10 letters. Common term.

4. “divides the north and south of the earth” → EQUATOR

7 letters. Yes.

5. “WW. north,south,east,v” → probably “west” — so cardinal directions. Answer: CARDINAL DIRECTIONS — too long? Or just DIRECTIONS? But clue 9 also involves directions.

Wait — “WW.” means “write word”, so likely the term for those four: CARDINAL POINTS or CARDINAL DIRECTIONS

But let’s count letters later.

7. “natural formation of rock and dirt” → LANDFORM

Yes! Like mountain, valley, plateau — all landforms. 8 letters.

11. “a huge body of salt water” → OCEAN

5 letters.

Now let’s try to fill in what we know and cross-check.

Start with easy ones:

Down 4: divides north and south → EQUATOR (7 letters) — fits if grid allows.

Down 2: map key → LEGEND (6 letters)

Down 3: half of globe → HEMISPHERE (10 letters)

Down 7: natural formation → LANDFORM (8 letters)

Down 11: huge salt water → OCEAN (5 letters)

Across 10: tool for directions → COMPASS (7 letters)

Across 12: map vs real size → SCALE (5 letters)

Now Across 6: east-west lines → LATITUDE? But latitude is one line; the system is latitudes. Often called “parallels”.

Standard answer in such puzzles: PARALLELS (9 letters) or LATITUDES (9 letters). But let’s see.

Actually, in many textbooks, they say:

- Lines east-west: Latitude lines or Parallels

- Lines north-south: Longitude lines or Meridians

Clue 8: north-south lines → LONGITUDE or MERIDIANS

Assume:

Across 6: PARALLELS (9 letters)

Across 8: MERIDIANS (9 letters)

Check if grids match — since we don’t have visual, we’ll go with standard terms.

Across 9: WW. northeast, southeast → These are intermediate directions. The term is INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS — 20 letters? Too long.

Wait — perhaps it’s just DIRECTIONS — but that’s weak.

Another possibility: “northeast, southeast” — what’s the category? They are part of the COMPASS POINTS

Or WIND ROSE? No.

Wait — in some contexts, they’re called ORDINAL DIRECTIONS — 16 letters.

Too long.

Perhaps the answer is POINTS — as in compass points.

But let’s think differently. Clue says “WW. northeast, southea” — maybe it’s “southeast” and then stops, implying the next would be southwest, etc. So the group is called INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS — but perhaps shortened?

I recall that in some worksheets, they use DIAGONAL DIRECTIONS — no.

Wait — here’s an idea: the full set of 8 directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) are called the POINTS OF THE COMPASS — but again, long.

Perhaps for clue 9, it’s BEARINGS — but bearings are degrees.

Let’s look at clue 5 down: “WW. north,south,east,v” — definitely “west”, so cardinal directions. Answer should be CARDINAL DIRECTIONS — 17 letters? Too long.

Unless it’s CARDINALS — but that’s birds.

No — in map skills, they often say “cardinal directions” as the term.

But for crossword, maybe it’s FOUR DIRECTIONS — 13 letters.

Still long.

Another approach: perhaps “WW.” means to write the word that describes those, and for clue 5 down, it’s CARDINAL — as in cardinal directions, but abbreviated? Unlikely.

Wait — let’s consider that clue 5 down is “north,south,east,west” — the answer is CARDINAL (8 letters)? But "cardinal" alone isn't complete.

Perhaps it's MAIN DIRECTIONS — 13 letters.

I think I found a better fit.

In many elementary resources, the four main directions are called CARDINAL POINTS — 13 letters.

But let's calculate letter counts from intersecting words.

Since we have down 4: EQUATOR (7 letters) — intersects with across 6 and 8.

If across 6 is PARALLELS (9 letters), and down 4 starts at position where it crosses, it might work.

Similarly, down 2: LEGEND (6 letters) — might cross with across 8.

Assume:

Across 6: PARALLELS (9 letters)

Across 8: MERIDIANS (9 letters)

Then down 4: EQUATOR — if it crosses both, it must be at the same column, which is possible if the grid is designed that way.

Now across 9: let's say it's INTERMEDIATE — but that's 12 letters, and "directions" is separate.

Perhaps the answer is INTERMEDIATE alone? But the clue says "northeast, southea" — implying the type of directions.

Another idea: "northeast, southeast" are examples of COMPOUND DIRECTIONS — not standard.

I recall that in some systems, they are called SECONDARY DIRECTIONS — 16 letters.

Too long.

Let's search for standard crossword answers for map skills.

Upon second thought, for clue 9: "WW. northeast, southea" — perhaps it's "southeast" and the answer is DIRECTIONS , but that's not specific.

Wait — the clue might be incomplete, and it's meant to be "northeast, southeast, etc." and the answer is INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS — but for crossword, maybe it's INTERMEDIATE if the grid allows.

But let's look at clue 5 down: "WW. north,south,east,v" — "v" is likely "west", so cardinal directions. The term is CARDINAL DIRECTIONS — but perhaps in the puzzle, it's CARDINAL for down 5? 8 letters.

And for across 9, INTERMEDIATE — 12 letters.

But let's check down 1: "7 landforms" — what could that be?

Perhaps it's "CONTINENTS" — 10 letters, and there are 7 continents. But continents are not landforms; landforms are features like mountains.

However, in some contexts, they might accept "CONTINENTS" for "7 landforms" — but it's inaccurate.

Another possibility: "TERRAINS" — 8 letters, but not 7.

"LANDFORMS" is 9 letters, and there are many, not 7.

Unless it's "SEVEN LANDFORMS" — too long.

Perhaps it's a misdirection, and the answer is "GLOBE" or something else.

Let's list all answers we are sure about:

Down:
2. LEGEND
3. HEMISPHERE
4. EQUATOR
7. LANDFORM
11. OCEAN

Across:
10. COMPASS
12. SCALE

Now for across 6: east-west lines — standard answer is LATITUDE but that's one line; the lines are called PARALLELS. I think PARALLELS is correct.

Similarly, across 8: north-south lines — MERIDIANS

For across 9: let's assume it's INTERMEDIATE — but the clue says "northeast, southea" — perhaps it's "southeast" and the answer is DIRECTIONS , but that's not satisfactory.

Another idea: "northeast, southeast" — what do they have in common? They are both between cardinal directions, so INTERMEDIATE is the adjective, but the noun is "directions".

Perhaps the answer is POINTS — as in compass points.

Let's count the letters in the grid mentally.

Suppose across 9 has 12 boxes — then INTERMEDIATE is 12 letters. Perfect!

Similarly, down 5: "north,south,east,west" — if it has 8 boxes, CARDINAL is 8 letters. And "cardinal" can stand for "cardinal directions" in context.

Down 1: "7 landforms" — if it has 10 boxes, CONTINENTS is 10 letters, and there are 7 continents. Even though continents are not technically landforms, in elementary education, they might be grouped that way. Or perhaps it's "LANDFORMS" but that's 9 letters.

"CONTINENTS" is 10 letters, and it matches "7" because there are 7 continents.

So let's go with that.

Down 1: CONTINENTS

Now, let's verify intersections.

For example, down 4: EQUATOR — 7 letters. If it crosses across 6 and 8, and across 6 is PARALLELS (9 letters), then the 'Q' in EQUATOR might be at position 4 of PARALLELS? P-A-R-A-L-L-E-L-S — positions 1 to 9. EQUATOR is E-Q-U-A-T-O-R — 7 letters. If it starts at row 1, col say 4, then it would intersect PARALLELS at its 4th letter 'A', but EQUATOR has 'A' as 4th letter? E(1)-Q(2)-U(3)-A(4)-T(5)-O(6)-R(7) — yes, 'A' is 4th. PARALLELS: P(1)-A(2)-R(3)-A(4)-L(5)-L(6)-E(7)-L(8)-S(9) — so at position 4, both have 'A'. Good.

Similarly, down 2: LEGEND — 6 letters. If it crosses across 8: MERIDIANS — M(1)-E(2)-R(3)-I(4)-D(5)-I(6)-A(7)-N(8)-S(9). LEGEND: L(1)-E(2)-G(3)-E(4)-N(5)-D(6). If LEGEND starts at row 1, col say 2, then at col 2, MERIDIANS has 'E' (2nd letter), and LEGEND has 'E' as 2nd letter? L(1)-E(2) — yes, matches.

Good.

Now across 9: INTERMEDIATE — 12 letters. What does it intersect? Down 7: LANDFORM — 8 letters. If they cross, say at position 5 of INTERMEDIATE and position 3 of LANDFORM.

INTERMEDIATE: I-N-T-E-R-M-I-D-I-A-T-E — 12 letters.

LANDFORM: L-A-N-D-F-O-R-M — 8 letters.

Suppose they cross at 'R' — in INTERMEDIATE, 'R' is 5th letter (I-N-T-E-R-...), in LANDFORM, 'R' is 7th letter (L-A-N-D-F-O-R-M). So if down 7 starts at row where across 9 is at its 5th letter, then it works if the grid aligns.

Similarly, down 5: CARDINAL — 8 letters. Intersects with across 10: COMPASS — 7 letters. COMPASS: C-O-M-P-A-S-S. CARDINAL: C-A-R-D-I-N-A-L. If they share the first 'C', then it works if down 5 starts at the beginning of across 10.

Across 10 is COMPASS, so if down 5 starts at the same cell as COMPASS's 'C', then CARDINAL would go down, and COMPASS goes right — so the 'C' is shared. Good.

Down 3: HEMISPHERE — 10 letters. Might intersect with across 3? There is no across 3 listed; across starts at 6.

Down 3 is vertical, so it may not intersect with across clues directly, but with other downs or the grid.

Down 11: OCEAN — 5 letters. May intersect with across 11? Across 11 is not defined; across are 6,8,9,10,12.

Across 12: SCALE — 5 letters. Down 11: OCEAN — 5 letters. If they cross, say at 'E' — SCALE: S-C-A-L-E, OCEAN: O-C-E-A-N. So if they share the 'C' or 'E'. Suppose at position 2: SCALE has 'C', OCEAN has 'C' as 2nd letter? O(1)-C(2)-E(3)-A(4)-N(5) — yes. So if down 11 starts at the cell where across 12 has its 2nd letter, then 'C' matches.

Perfect.

Now for across 9: INTERMEDIATE — and the clue is "WW. northeast, southea" — which is likely "southeast", and INTERMEDIATE refers to intermediate directions, which include northeast, southeast, etc. So it fits.

Down 5: CARDINAL — for "north,south,east,west" — cardinal directions. Although "cardinal" alone is an adjective, in context, it's understood.

Down 1: CONTINENTS — for "7 landforms" — accepting that in this context, continents are considered major landforms or regions.

So final answers:

Across:
6. PARALLELS
8. MERIDIANS
9. INTERMEDIATE
10. COMPASS
12. SCALE

Down:
1. CONTINENTS
2. LEGEND
3. HEMISPHERE
4. EQUATOR
5. CARDINAL
7. LANDFORM
11. OCEAN

Now, to confirm, let's write them out.

Final Answer:

Across:
6. PARALLELS
8. MERIDIANS
9. INTERMEDIATE
10. COMPASS
12. SCALE

Down:
1. CONTINENTS
2. LEGEND
3. HEMISPHERE
4. EQUATOR
5. CARDINAL
7. LANDFORM
11. OCEAN