Using 2nd Grade Math Worksheets to Teach 3-Digit Subtraction With ... - Free Printable

You're working on a worksheet titled “Zipping Through Zeros”, which focuses on subtracting 2-digit and 3-digit numbers with regrouping (borrowing) — especially when there are zeros in the minuend (the top number), which makes borrowing trickier.

Let’s solve each problem step by step and identify the correct answer from the choices given. Then you can color the correct box.

---

🔢 Problem 1: `800 - 515`

Step-by-step:

```
800
- 515
-----
```

- Ones place: 0 - 5 → Can’t do, so borrow from tens. But tens is also 0 → so go to hundreds.
- Borrow 1 from 8 (hundreds) → becomes 7. The tens place gets 10, but we need to borrow for ones, so tens becomes 9, and ones becomes 10.
- Now: 10 - 5 = 5
- Tens: 9 - 1 = 8
- Hundreds: 7 - 5 = 2

✔ Answer: 285

Choices: 285 | 275 | 315 → ✔ Color 285

---

🔢 Problem 2: `907 - 418`

```
907
- 418
-----
```

- Ones: 7 - 8 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 9 → 8; tens: 0 → 10 → then borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 17.
- Ones: 17 - 8 = 9
- Tens: 9 - 1 = 8
- Hundreds: 8 - 4 = 4

✔ Answer: 489

Choices: 288 | 489 | 389 → ✔ Color 489

---

🔢 Problem 3: `600 - 231`

```
600
- 231
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 1 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 6 → 5; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 1 = 9
- Tens: 9 - 3 = 6
- Hundreds: 5 - 2 = 3

✔ Answer: 369

Choices: 431 | 229 | 369 → ✔ Color 369

---

🔢 Problem 4: `700 - 422`

```
700
- 422
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 2 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 7 → 6; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 2 = 8
- Tens: 9 - 2 = 7
- Hundreds: 6 - 4 = 2

✔ Answer: 278

Choices: 288 | 278 | 378 → ✔ Color 278

---

🔢 Problem 5: `203 - 129`

```
203
- 129
-----
```

- Ones: 3 - 9 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 2 → 1; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 13.
- Ones: 13 - 9 = 4
- Tens: 9 - 2 = 7
- Hundreds: 1 - 1 = 0

✔ Answer: 74

Choices: 74 | 175 | 126 → ✔ Color 74

---

🔢 Problem 6: `900 - 789`

```
900
- 789
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 9 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 9 → 8; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 9 = 1
- Tens: 9 - 8 = 1
- Hundreds: 8 - 7 = 1

✔ Answer: 111

Choices: 211 | 275 | 111 → ✔ Color 111

---

🔢 Problem 7: `800 - 458`

```
800
- 458
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 8 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 8 → 7; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 8 = 2
- Tens: 9 - 5 = 4
- Hundreds: 7 - 4 = 3

✔ Answer: 342

Choices: 242 | 224 | 342 → ✔ Color 342

---

🔢 Problem 8: `300 - 217`

```
300
- 217
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 7 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 3 → 2; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 7 = 3
- Tens: 9 - 1 = 8
- Hundreds: 2 - 2 = 0

✔ Answer: 83

Choices: 83 | 833 | 183 → ✔ Color 83

---

🔢 Problem 9: `200 - 156`

```
200
- 156
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 6 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 2 → 1; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 6 = 4
- Tens: 9 - 5 = 4
- Hundreds: 1 - 1 = 0

✔ Answer: 44

Choices: 143 | 144 | 44 → ✔ Color 44

---

🔢 Problem 10: `500 - 247`

```
500
- 247
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 7 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 5 → 4; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 7 = 3
- Tens: 9 - 4 = 5
- Hundreds: 4 - 2 = 2

✔ Answer: 253

Choices: 253 | 255 | 315 → ✔ Color 253

---

🔢 Problem 11: `400 - 275`

```
400
- 275
-----
```

- Ones: 0 - 5 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 4 → 3; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 10.
- Ones: 10 - 5 = 5
- Tens: 9 - 7 = 2
- Hundreds: 3 - 2 = 1

✔ Answer: 125

Choices: 125 | 225 | 325 → ✔ Color 125

---

🔢 Problem 12: `306 - 138`

```
306
- 138
-----
```

- Ones: 6 - 8 → borrow. Tens is 0 → borrow from hundreds.
- Hundreds: 3 → 2; tens: 0 → 10 → borrow 1 for ones → tens becomes 9, ones becomes 16.
- Ones: 16 - 8 = 8
- Tens: 9 - 3 = 6
- Hundreds: 2 - 1 = 1

✔ Answer: 168

Choices: 262 | 168 | 385 → ✔ Color 168

---

## ✔ Final Answers to Color:

| Problem # | Correct Answer |
|-----------|----------------|
| 1 | 285 |
| 2 | 489 |
| 3 | 369 |
| 4 | 278 |
| 5 | 74 |
| 6 | 111 |
| 7 | 342 |
| 8 | 83 |
| 9 | 44 |
| 10 | 253 |
| 11 | 125 |
| 12 | 168 |

---

🎉 You’re done! Just color the boxes with these answers. Great job practicing subtraction with regrouping — especially “zipping through zeros”!