Christmas word search printables
Pick an eight-word puzzle with words running across and down, or a twelve-word puzzle that adds downward diagonals. Each has a separate matching answer sheet, so you can print a Christmas-table activity without giving away the answers.
Free, with no email or account. One fixed page per PDF, for pencil play. A4 versions and separate answer keys are below.
Easy: eight words, across and down
The 10 × 10 grid hides eight celebration words. Read left to right along a row or top to bottom down a column. There are no diagonal or backward words. Both sheets use 18-point uppercase letters. Choose by the directions you want to search, rather than an age label.
Words to find: BELLS, CANDLE, GIFTS, HOLLY, RIBBON, SNOW, STAR, TREE.
Show the easy answers and key preview
The gray paths mark each answer. Count rows downward and columns rightward from 1 at the top-left corner. The code CH-EASY appears on both the puzzle and its key.
- BELLS: row 1, column 1 to row 1, column 5.
- CANDLE: row 5, column 1 to row 5, column 6.
- GIFTS: row 6, column 10 to row 10, column 10.
- HOLLY: row 8, column 3 to row 8, column 7.
- RIBBON: row 3, column 8 to row 8, column 8.
- SNOW: row 1, column 10 to row 4, column 10.
- STAR: row 4, column 3 to row 4, column 6.
- TREE: row 3, column 7 to row 6, column 7.
Standard: twelve words, including diagonals
The 14 × 14 grid has longer words such as ORNAMENT and REINDEER. Look right, down, diagonally down-right, or diagonally down-left. No word reads upward or backward along a row. Both sheets use 18-point uppercase letters. Choose by the directions you want to search, rather than an age label.
Words to find: COCOA, COOKIE, GARLAND, LIGHTS, MITTENS, ORNAMENT, PRESENTS, REINDEER, SLEIGH, STOCKING, TINSEL, WREATH.
Show the standard answers and key preview
The gray paths mark each answer. Count rows downward and columns rightward from 1 at the top-left corner. The code CH-STANDARD appears on both the puzzle and its key.
- COCOA: row 7, column 9 to row 11, column 5.
- COOKIE: row 1, column 13 to row 6, column 8.
- GARLAND: row 12, column 7 to row 12, column 13.
- LIGHTS: row 3, column 2 to row 8, column 2.
- MITTENS: row 7, column 4 to row 13, column 4.
- ORNAMENT: row 10, column 6 to row 10, column 13.
- PRESENTS: row 5, column 13 to row 12, column 6.
- REINDEER: row 1, column 6 to row 8, column 13.
- SLEIGH: row 14, column 2 to row 14, column 7.
- STOCKING: row 2, column 6 to row 9, column 6.
- TINSEL: row 2, column 9 to row 7, column 14.
- WREATH: row 9, column 2 to row 14, column 7.
Try the first word
Here are the first two rows of the easy puzzle. Start at the top-left B and follow the row rightward: B, E, L, L, S. Circle all five letters, then tick BELLS in the word list.
For a downward word, hold the column and move down one row per letter. For a diagonal on the standard sheet, move down one row and one column each time. A word stays on a straight line, and never wraps around an edge.
Print the puzzle and keep the answers apart
Choose US Letter for 8.5 × 11-inch paper or A4 for 210 × 297-millimeter paper. Use portrait orientation and Actual size or 100%. The grid, letters and gray answer marks work in black and white; check your print preview before making copies.
Give each solver a puzzle and pencil. Words can share a letter where their paths cross. Each listed word appears once, and you can tick the checklist as you find it. There’s no timer or score to keep.
If someone wants one hint, use the matching key to give just the starting row and column. For example, on the easy sheet CANDLE starts at row 5, column 1. The code in the top-right corner helps you match each puzzle to its answer sheet.
These downloads contain two fixed original grids. Downloading again gives you the same puzzles; the PDFs have no editable fields. The word lists and answer coordinates are available above as text. For a different theme, try the sports word searches.
If Christmas isn’t your occasion, choose another game from the printable library. For a shared Christmas game with a caller, the Christmas bingo cards are ready to print too.
One found word
Published October 25, 2026.