Multiplication Math Riddles
Free printable multiplication riddle worksheets. Solve each product, find it in the decoder and write the letter to spell the answer to a riddle.
Solve each multiplication fact, find the product in the decoder, and write the letter in the blank with the same number. The letters spell the answer to a riddle, so a child whose product is wrong sees a gap or a word that does not read.
Products repeat, which is useful here: 24 is 3 × 8 and also 4 × 6, so a letter that comes up twice can be asked two different ways. The decoder lists every letter the riddle needs by its product, plus a few it does not.
The tables set the sheet. A range of one or two tables has few different products, so the sheet picks a riddle with fewer different letters; the full tables can use any riddle in the bank.
What this worksheet covers
- Solve multiplication facts from the one to nine tables
- Decode each product into a letter to read a riddle
Common Core standards
- 3.OA.C.7 Fluently multiply and divide within 100; know all products of two one-digit numbers from memory.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the decoder numbers things like 24, 36 and 56?
They are products. The decoder is ordered by product, and each one stands for one letter. Only products the riddle needs, and a few decoys, are listed, so it is short enough to scan.
Why does a short table sheet use a riddle with few letters?
Because the decoder needs a different product for each letter, and one table has only ten of them. The sheet picks from the riddles with few enough different letters instead of repeating a product for two letters.
Can the same letter have two different problems?
Yes. Where a letter appears twice in the answer, the two problems are different facts with the same product when the tables have two, such as 4 × 6 and 3 × 8.