Free Printable Space Word Search (Hard)

The eight planets and twelve more words from the solar system, hidden in every direction on a 16 x 16 grid. The hard puzzle on this site, with an answer key for when it gets too hard.

Space Word Search grid
T	Y	E	A	A	Y	R	U	C	R	E	M	T	I	O	T
I	C	J	I	V	D	A	W	T	O	T	E	M	O	C	J
X	U	A	H	E	T	H	V	E	E	S	J	E	N	N	S
O	Y	S	O	N	P	P	R	L	M	A	R	S	R	E	E
A	X	T	A	U	S	T	O	E	C	A	E	J	E	B	U
N	A	R	A	S	Y	R	C	S	R	C	T	H	T	U	C
R	L	O	J	S	X	O	K	C	S	M	A	S	I	L	V
U	A	N	H	E	T	R	E	O	L	E	R	C	P	A	T
T	G	A	C	C	N	E	T	P	A	T	C	H	U	L	T
A	J	U	U	X	E	U	R	E	L	E	T	L	J	S	I
S	H	T	R	A	E	K	T	O	D	O	I	W	I	K	N
C	E	C	L	I	P	S	E	P	I	R	B	E	Z	L	P
Y	G	O	S	E	W	E	O	A	E	D	R	V	T	N	A
E	M	T	R	A	V	D	O	C	J	N	O	J	E	J	C
R	T	H	J	E	A	G	I	L	J	U	R	A	N	U	S
N	U	F	E	S	A	T	E	L	L	I	T	E	V	X	N

A puzzle built to take a while

Most classroom word searches are made easy on purpose. This one is not. Words can run forwards, backwards, up, down and along all four diagonals, the grid is 16 x 16, and the words include a few that are easy to half-see and then lose (Saturn and Uranus are built from nearly the same letters; Meteor and Mercury start the same way). It is aimed at ten-year-olds and up, and it suits the end of a space unit when the words are known and the point is the hunt. Adults who like a word search will find it a decent ten minutes.

The list is the solar system as taught in upper elementary: the eight planets in order from the sun, plus asteroid, comet, meteor, crater, eclipse, orbit, satellite, nebula, galaxy, and the human side (rocket, astronaut, telescope).

Using it in a space unit

End-of-unit treat. Hand it out after the test. Nobody will complain.
Order the planets. As each planet is found, write it in a list in order from the sun. The found-order is random, so the exercise is real.
Sort the words. Planets, small bodies, events and technology: four columns under the grid.
Definitions version. Cover the word bank and give a definition for each term; students must know the word before they can look for it.

Making it easier

Turn off the backward and upward directions and the same list becomes a normal puzzle for third grade. Shrink the grid to 14 x 14 and it goes faster still. If the planets are the only words that matter for the lesson, cut the list to the eight and use a 12 x 12 grid with forwards and down only; the puzzle then takes five minutes and works for second grade.

Printing

A 16 x 16 grid still prints at a comfortable letter size on Letter or A4, one puzzle per page with the word bank beneath. The answer key goes on a second page; print one for yourself, or one per table for self-checking. Dark pencils, not markers, for circling: with words crossing in several directions a marker turns the grid into a mess by the tenth word.

The 20 words in this puzzle

The grid is 16 x 16. Edit the words, the grid size or the allowed directions above and the puzzle is rebuilt as you type.

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Asteroid
Comet
Galaxy
Orbit
Rocket
Astronaut
Telescope
Meteor
Satellite
Eclipse
Nebula
Crater

Printable Space Word Search and answer key: a 16 x 16 letter grid and a word bank that starts with Asteroid, Astronaut and Comet. — This puzzle with two words found. The answer key comes on a page of its own.

Frequently asked questions

Why is this one harder than the other puzzles?

Words run in all eight directions, including backwards and upwards, on a 16 x 16 grid. Reading "ENUTPEN" right to left takes real attention. It is written for upper elementary and middle school, and for adults who want a proper puzzle. Untick the backward directions to bring it down to the standard level.

Is Pluto on the list?

No. Pluto has been a dwarf planet since 2006, and the list sticks to the eight planets to avoid starting that conversation in the middle of a puzzle. Add it if your class has reached that lesson; there is room on the grid.

Can I turn this into bingo too?

Yes. Paste the same twenty words into the bingo card generator, add ten more space words (moon, star, sun, solar, lunar, launch, gravity, planet, universe, alien) to reach thirty, enough for 4 x 4 cards (a 5 x 5 game wants 48 or more), and you have a bingo game for the same lesson, called by reading a clue for each word.

How do I check the answers quickly?

Print the answer key page, which shows the same grid with every word highlighted. Hold it next to a student's sheet; a sixteen-by-sixteen grid is checked in a few seconds.

Space Word Search

Your puzzle

Preview · 16x16 · 20 words placed

Words to find