To print a word search with its answer key, open the puzzle’s Print & PDF options, choose your paper size, select Puzzle + answer key, download the PDF, and print it at actual size (100%). The answer key prints on its own page with every word highlighted on the same grid. This guide covers each setting, the difference between downloading a PDF and printing directly, and how to keep keys matched to the right puzzles.

PDF download or Print button?

Every puzzle on this site offers two ways to get it on paper. They use the same layout rules, but they behave differently.

	Download PDF	Print
What you get	A PDF file saved to your device	The page sent straight to your printer
Exact sizes	Yes — laid out in points, embedded font	Depends on your browser’s print settings
Reuse later	Keep the file, print again anytime	Need to come back to the site
Best for	Large print, classroom copies, packs	A quick single copy

If text size matters — especially large print — use Download PDF. Browsers add their own margins and sometimes “shrink to fit,” which can make letters smaller than intended.

Both options use the same puzzle you see on screen. Choosing a paper size or print size never regenerates the grid, so the puzzle you played and the one you print are identical.

Step-by-step: printing with the answer key

Open the puzzle. Any library puzzle, the daily puzzle, or one you made in the word search maker.
Open Print & PDF.
Choose paper. US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) is standard in the US and Canada; A4 (210 × 297 mm) almost everywhere else.
Choose print size. Standard fills the page with clear letters. Large print guarantees at least 18-point grid letters — see readable grid and font sizes.
Choose what to include: Puzzle only, Answer key only, or Puzzle + answer key.
Optional: word list order (alphabetical or as entered) and Name/Date lines.
Download PDF, open it, and print at Actual size or 100%.

The PDF is built entirely in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

What the answer key looks like

The answer key page repeats the puzzle title with “Answer Key —” in front, shows the same grid, and draws a soft gray band over every word. The letters stay fully readable under the bands, so a key works in black and white. For a hidden message puzzle, the key also prints the decoded message.

At the bottom of every page is a short puzzle ID — for example P1-93A3CEE8 — plus “Puzzle” or “Answer key.” The ID is calculated from the grid and word positions, so two different layouts can never share one. Match the ID on the key to the ID on the puzzle and you know they belong together.

Keeping keys separate (and matched)

Choose “Puzzle only” for the copies you hand out, then download “Answer key only” separately for yourself.
For several puzzles, use a printable pack and put all answer keys at the end, so you can remove them before photocopying.
Teachers making several versions of one list get labels — Version A, B, C — on each puzzle and its key. See building classroom and group activity packs.

Printer settings that matter

Scale: Actual size / 100%. The most important setting. “Fit to page” or “Shrink oversized pages” can reduce everything by a few percent. Every page footer reminds you: Print at actual size (100%).

Paper size must match. If you downloaded A4 but your printer is loaded with Letter (or the reverse), the printer may scale or crop. Re-download in the right size — it takes seconds and the puzzle doesn’t change.

Color: black and white is fine. Pages are designed in black on white, with no background fills, so they print crisply and save ink.

Double-sided printing: if you print puzzle and key on two sides of one sheet, the answers show through on thin paper. Single-sided is safer.

Troubleshooting

The download didn’t start (common on phones). After the PDF is created, a message offers to open the PDF directly. From there, use your browser’s Share or Save option. Some mobile browsers don’t allow automatic downloads; the file is still created and opens normally.

Some characters became ”?” The PDF font covers Latin letters with accents but not every symbol. If a title or word label uses an emoji or a character the font can’t draw, you’ll be asked whether to replace it with ”?” — nothing is changed silently.

Large print isn’t available for this puzzle. Grids larger than 18×18 (Letter) or 17×17 (A4) can’t keep 18-point letters on one page. The site explains this and offers Standard size, or, in the maker, a smaller version of your puzzle.

The word list moved to a second page. With many long words at large print, the list may not fit under the grid. Rather than shrink anything, the list continues on its own page and the first page says so.

Using the answer key well

An answer key is more than a way to check a finished sheet:

Self-checking stations. In a classroom, put keys in a folder at a side table. Students check their own work, which saves marking time and teaches them to verify.
The last-word rescue. When someone has found all but one word, show them the key with one hand covering everything except the area around that word. They still get the satisfaction of finding it.
Delayed reveal. In an office or club, post the puzzle on Monday and the key on Friday.
Proofreading your own puzzle. Before printing many copies of a puzzle you made, check the key to make sure every word is placed where you’d expect and that names are spelled right.

Checking a solved sheet quickly

To check many sheets, lay the key beside each sheet rather than on top. Compare one region at a time — top half, bottom half — rather than word by word. On paper, ask solvers to circle whole words; underlined first letters are slow to check. With labeled versions, first match the version letter and puzzle ID, then compare.

Why matched keys matter

Many puzzle sources generate a fresh random grid each time the page loads. If you print the puzzle on Monday and the key on Tuesday, they may not match. Here, a puzzle’s layout doesn’t change: library puzzles are fixed, saved puzzles reopen with the same grid, and the ID in the footer is calculated from the grid itself. A key with the same ID always matches.

Frequently asked

Can I get the answer key as a list of positions? The key shows the words highlighted on the grid, which is faster to check than coordinates.

Can I print only the key for a puzzle I already printed? Yes. Open the same puzzle, choose Answer key only and download.

Does the key show the direction of each word? The highlight band runs along each word, so its direction is visible at a glance.

Can I hide the word list on the answer key? The key repeats the word list so it can be used on its own. Fold it under if you like.

Keys for packs and versions

When you print a pack or a set of versions, every key carries the label and ID of its puzzle. Clip keys together by version letter, or keep them in a folder in the same order as the puzzles. If keys come at the end of the PDF, pull those pages off before photocopying.

Keep a spare copy of each key with your own materials; it’s quicker than reprinting when a key goes missing.

Printing several puzzles at once

The printable library lets you tick up to ten puzzles and download them as a single PDF. Each puzzle is labeled A, B, C and so on, and you choose whether answer keys come after each puzzle or all together at the end. It’s the fastest way to prepare a party, a classroom center or a long trip.

Answer keys are drawn from the same grid as the puzzle, so you can download the key days later and it will still match, as long as you open the same puzzle.

Quick reference

Exact sizes → Download PDF
One quick copy → Print
Hand-out copies → Puzzle only
Your copy → Answer key only
Always → Actual size / 100%, matching paper size
Match keys to puzzles → check the P1- ID in the footer

Ready? Pick a puzzle from the printable library, or make your own in the word search maker with answer key.

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How to Print a Word Search and Matching Answer Key