Subtract Two 4-Digit Numbers with Regrouping: Missing Digits ... - Free Printable

Let’s solve each subtraction problem step by step. We’ll fill in the missing digits so that each subtraction is correct. Remember: when subtracting, if the top digit is smaller than the bottom one, we need to regroup (borrow) from the next column to the left.

We’ll go row by row, left to right.

---

First Row:

1.
```
629□
- □078
------
4□16
```

Start from the ones place:

Ones: □ - 8 = 6 → So the top digit must be 4 (because 14 - 8 = 6, and we borrow 1 from tens). So top ones digit = 4

Tens: After borrowing, 9 becomes 8. Then 8 - 7 = 1 → matches the answer’s tens digit (1). Good.

Hundreds: 2 - 0 = ? But answer shows □. Wait — let’s check thousands.

Thousands: 6 - □ = 4 → So □ = 2? But wait — did we borrow for hundreds?

Wait — let’s write it with what we know:

Top: 6 2 9 4
Bottom: ? 0 7 8
Answer: 4 ? 1 6

Ones: 4 - 8 → can’t do, so borrow from tens → 14 - 8 = 6 ✔️
Tens: 9 became 8 → 8 - 7 = 1 ✔️
Hundreds: 2 - 0 = 2 → but answer has a blank here → should be 2?
Thousands: 6 - ? = 4 → so ? = 2

But then bottom number is 2078? Let’s check:

6294 - 2078 = ?

Calculate:
6294
-2078
= 4216 → Yes! So missing digits are:

Top ones: 4
Bottom thousands: 2
Answer hundreds: 2

So first problem:
6294
- 2078
= 4216

✔ Done.

---

2.
```
798□
- 44□8
------
□559
```

Ones: □ - 8 = 9 → So top digit must be 7 (because 17 - 8 = 9, borrow 1 from tens)

So top ones = 7

Tens: 8 became 7 after borrow → 7 - □ = 5 → so □ = 2

Bottom tens = 2

Hundreds: 9 - 4 = 5 → matches answer’s hundreds digit (5) ✔️

Thousands: 7 - 4 = 3 → so answer thousands = 3

Check: 7987 - 4428 = ?

7987
-4428
= 3559 ✔️

So missing digits:
Top ones: 7
Bottom tens: 2
Answer thousands: 3

---

3.
```
899□
- 7□87
------
13□9
```

Ones: □ - 7 = 9 → So top digit = 6 (16 - 7 = 9, borrow 1)

Top ones = 6

Tens: 9 became 8 → 8 - 8 = 0 → so answer tens = 0

Hundreds: 9 - □ = 3 → So □ = 6? But wait — did we borrow? No, because tens didn’t need to borrow from hundreds (we borrowed from tens for ones, but tens was 9→8, which is fine).

Wait: 9 - □ = 3 → □ = 6

Bottom hundreds = 6

Thousands: 8 - 7 = 1 → matches answer ✔️

Check: 8996 - 7687 = ?

8996
-7687
= 1309 ✔️

Missing digits:
Top ones: 6
Bottom hundreds: 6
Answer tens: 0

---

Second Row:

4.
```
9□33
- 424□
------
□590
```

Ones: 3 - □ = 0 → So □ = 3

Bottom ones = 3

Tens: 3 - 4 → can’t do → borrow from hundreds → 13 - 4 = 9 ✔️

So hundreds digit of top was reduced by 1.

Hundreds: □ became (□ - 1) → then (□ - 1) - 2 = 5 → so □ - 1 = 7 → □ = 8

Top hundreds = 8

Thousands: 9 - 4 = 5 → answer thousands = 5

Check: 9833 - 4243 = ?

9833
-4243
= 5590 ✔️

Missing digits:
Top hundreds: 8
Bottom ones: 3
Answer thousands: 5

---

5.
```
3□38
- 29□7
------
96□
```

Note: Answer is only 3 digits → so result is less than 1000 → meaning thousands digit of top minus bottom = 0 → so 3 - 2 = 1? Wait, that would give at least 1000. Hmm.

Wait — maybe there’s borrowing? Let’s see.

Actually, 3□38 - 29□7 = 96□ → so result is between 960 and 969.

That means 3□38 - 29□7 ≈ 960 → so 3□38 ≈ 29□7 + 960 ≈ 3867 to 3877 → so top number is around 38xx.

Try solving step by step.

Ones: 8 - 7 = 1 → so answer ones = 1

Tens: 3 - □ = 6 → can’t do → borrow from hundreds → 13 - □ = 6 → so □ = 7

Bottom tens = 7

Now, hundreds: □ became (□ - 1) → then (□ - 1) - 9 = 9? That can’t be — (□ - 1) - 9 = 9 → □ - 1 = 18 → impossible.

Wait — maybe we need to borrow from thousands too?

Let’s think differently.

Set up:

Top: 3 A 3 8
Bottom: 2 9 B 7
Answer: 9 6 C

We found C = 1 (from ones)

Tens: 3 - B = 6 → need to borrow → so 13 - B = 6 → B = 7

Now hundreds: A - 1 (because we borrowed) - 9 = 9? → A - 10 = 9 → A = 19 → impossible.

Ah — so we must have borrowed from thousands for the hundreds place.

So:

After borrowing for tens, hundreds digit is A - 1.

But A - 1 < 9 → so we borrow from thousands → so thousands: 3 becomes 2, and hundreds become (A - 1 + 10) = A + 9

Then: (A + 9) - 9 = 9 → so A + 9 - 9 = 9 → A = 9

Yes!

So top hundreds = 9

Then thousands: 3 became 2 (after borrow) → 2 - 2 = 0 → so no thousands digit in answer → correct.

Check: 3938 - 2977 = ?

3938
-2977
= 961 ✔️

Missing digits:
Top hundreds: 9
Bottom tens: 7
Answer ones: 1

---

6.
```
872□
- □783
------
59□5
```

Ones: □ - 3 = 5 → So □ = 8 (no borrow needed)

Top ones = 8

Tens: 2 - 8 → can’t → borrow from hundreds → 12 - 8 = 4 → so answer tens = 4

Hundreds: 7 became 6 → 6 - 7 → can’t → borrow from thousands → 16 - 7 = 9 ✔️

Thousands: 8 became 7 → 7 - □ = 5 → so □ = 2

Bottom thousands = 2

Check: 8728 - 2783 = ?

8728
-2783
= 5945 ✔️

Missing digits:
Top ones: 8
Bottom thousands: 2
Answer tens: 4

---

Third Row:

7.
```
7□49
- □859
------
119□
```

Ones: 9 - 9 = 0 → answer ones = 0

Tens: 4 - 5 → can’t → borrow from hundreds → 14 - 5 = 9 ✔️

Hundreds: □ became (□ - 1) → then (□ - 1) - 8 = 1 → so □ - 1 = 9 → □ = 10 → impossible.

So must borrow from thousands.

So:

After borrowing for tens, hundreds digit is (□ - 1)

But (□ - 1) < 8 → so borrow from thousands → thousands: 7 becomes 6, hundreds become (□ - 1 + 10) = □ + 9

Then: (□ + 9) - 8 = 1 → □ + 1 = 1 → □ = 0

Top hundreds = 0

Thousands: 7 became 6 → 6 - □ = 1 → so □ = 5

Bottom thousands = 5

Check: 7049 - 5859 = ?

7049
-5859
= 1190 ✔️

Missing digits:
Top hundreds: 0
Bottom thousands: 5
Answer ones: 0

---

8.
```
86□2
- 1□69
------
□653
```

Ones: 2 - 9 → can’t → borrow → 12 - 9 = 3 ✔️ → answer ones = 3 (given)

Tens: □ became (□ - 1) → then (□ - 1) - 6 = 5 → so □ - 1 = 11 → □ = 12 → impossible.

So must borrow from hundreds.

So:

After borrowing for ones, tens digit is (□ - 1)

But (□ - 1) < 6 → so borrow from hundreds → hundreds digit reduces by 1, tens become (□ - 1 + 10) = □ + 9

Then: (□ + 9) - 6 = 5 → □ + 3 = 5 → □ = 2

Top tens = 2

Now hundreds: 6 became 5 (after borrow) → 5 - □ = 6? Can’t → so must borrow from thousands.

Thousands: 8 becomes 7, hundreds become 5 + 10 = 15

Then: 15 - □ = 6 → □ = 9

Bottom hundreds = 9

Thousands: 8 became 7 → 7 - 1 = 6 → answer thousands = 6

Check: 8622 - 1969 = ?

8622
-1969
= 6653 ✔️

Missing digits:
Top tens: 2
Bottom hundreds: 9
Answer thousands: 6

---

9.
```
80□0
- □362
------
2□48
```

Ones: 0 - 2 → can’t → borrow → 10 - 2 = 8 ✔️

Tens: □ became (□ - 1) → then (□ - 1) - 6 = 4 → so □ - 1 = 10 → □ = 11 → impossible.

So borrow from hundreds.

Hundreds: 0 → can’t lend → so borrow from thousands.

Thousands: 8 becomes 7, hundreds become 10

But hundreds needs to lend to tens → so hundreds become 9, tens become (□ - 1 + 10) = □ + 9

Then: (□ + 9) - 6 = 4 → □ + 3 = 4 → □ = 1

Top tens = 1

Now hundreds: 0 became 9 (after lending to tens) → 9 - 3 = 6 → answer hundreds = 6

Thousands: 8 became 7 → 7 - □ = 2 → □ = 5

Bottom thousands = 5

Check: 8010 - 5362 = ?

8010
-5362
= 2648 ✔️

Missing digits:
Top tens: 1
Bottom thousands: 5
Answer hundreds: 6

---

Now let’s compile all answers in order as they appear in the worksheet (left to right, top to bottom):

Row 1:
1. Top ones: 4, Bottom thousands: 2, Answer hundreds: 2
2. Top ones: 7, Bottom tens: 2, Answer thousands: 3
3. Top ones: 6, Bottom hundreds: 6, Answer tens: 0

Row 2:
4. Top hundreds: 8, Bottom ones: 3, Answer thousands: 5
5. Top hundreds: 9, Bottom tens: 7, Answer ones: 1
6. Top ones: 8, Bottom thousands: 2, Answer tens: 4

Row 3:
7. Top hundreds: 0, Bottom thousands: 5, Answer ones: 0
8. Top tens: 2, Bottom hundreds: 9, Answer thousands: 6
9. Top tens: 1, Bottom thousands: 5, Answer hundreds: 6

But the worksheet has boxes in specific positions. Let me list them in the order they appear visually (reading left to right, top to bottom, and within each problem, top to bottom or left to right as per box position).

Looking at the image layout:

Each problem has 3 missing digits. The problems are arranged in 3 rows × 3 columns.

For each problem, the missing digits are:

Problem 1 (top-left):
- Top number, ones place: box
- Bottom number, thousands place: box
- Answer, hundreds place: box

Problem 2 (top-middle):
- Top number, ones place: box
- Bottom number, tens place: box
- Answer, thousands place: box

Problem 3 (top-right):
- Top number, ones place: box
- Bottom number, hundreds place: box
- Answer, tens place: box

Problem 4 (middle-left):
- Top number, hundreds place: box
- Bottom number, ones place: box
- Answer, thousands place: box

Problem 5 (middle-middle):
- Top number, hundreds place: box
- Bottom number, tens place: box
- Answer, ones place: box

Problem 6 (middle-right):
- Top number, ones place: box
- Bottom number, thousands place: box
- Answer, tens place: box

Problem 7 (bottom-left):
- Top number, hundreds place: box
- Bottom number, thousands place: box
- Answer, ones place: box

Problem 8 (bottom-middle):
- Top number, tens place: box
- Bottom number, hundreds place: box
- Answer, thousands place: box

Problem 9 (bottom-right):
- Top number, tens place: box
- Bottom number, thousands place: box
- Answer, hundreds place: box

So listing the missing digits in order of appearance (as you read the page):

1. Problem 1, top ones: 4
2. Problem 1, bottom thousands: 2
3. Problem 1, answer hundreds: 2
4. Problem 2, top ones: 7
5. Problem 2, bottom tens: 2
6. Problem 2, answer thousands: 3
7. Problem 3, top ones: 6
8. Problem 3, bottom hundreds: 6
9. Problem 3, answer tens: 0
10. Problem 4, top hundreds: 8
11. Problem 4, bottom ones: 3
12. Problem 4, answer thousands: 5
13. Problem 5, top hundreds: 9
14. Problem 5, bottom tens: 7
15. Problem 5, answer ones: 1
16. Problem 6, top ones: 8
17. Problem 6, bottom thousands: 2
18. Problem 6, answer tens: 4
19. Problem 7, top hundreds: 0
20. Problem 7, bottom thousands: 5
21. Problem 7, answer ones: 0
22. Problem 8, top tens: 2
23. Problem 8, bottom hundreds: 9
24. Problem 8, answer thousands: 6
25. Problem 9, top tens: 1
26. Problem 9, bottom thousands: 5
27. Problem 9, answer hundreds: 6

Final Answer:
4, 2, 2, 7, 2, 3, 6, 6, 0, 8, 3, 5, 9, 7, 1, 8, 2, 4, 0, 5, 0, 2, 9, 6, 1, 5, 6