Body Parts Word Search
A body parts word search with 10 words, from shoulder to wrist, plus two fixed printable puzzles: eight everyday body words for beginners and a 15 x 15 challenge of 16 anatomy terms.
Two printable body puzzles
These two puzzles are fixed: the grid is the same every time, so you can print identical sheets for a class or a party. Each has a word list, a Show answers button, a Print button and a printable answer key. Download both as a PDF (with answer keys)
Body Parts Word Search 1: Body Basics
A 10 x 10 puzzle for beginners. Eight short words, hidden across, down and diagonally down to the right only.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Body Parts Word Search 1: Body Basics: answer key
- ARM: row 6, column 5, diagonally down and to the right
- EAR: row 7, column 2, down
- FOOT: row 6, column 7, across to the right
- HAND: row 1, column 5, diagonally down and to the right
- HEAD: row 9, column 3, across to the right
- KNEE: row 1, column 7, across to the right
- LEG: row 7, column 8, diagonally down and to the right
- NOSE: row 5, column 3, diagonally down and to the right
Body Parts Word Search 2: Anatomy Challenge
A 15 x 15 puzzle with sixteen longer words, hidden in every direction, including backwards and up.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Body Parts Word Search 2: Anatomy Challenge: answer key
- ABDOMEN: row 13, column 3, diagonally up and to the right
- ARTERY: row 7, column 11, down
- EARDRUM: row 7, column 12, diagonally up and to the left
- ESOPHAGUS: row 13, column 10, diagonally up and to the left
- EYELASH: row 3, column 15, diagonally down and to the left
- HAMSTRING: row 13, column 7, diagonally up and to the right
- KNUCKLE: row 3, column 9, across to the right
- LIGAMENT: row 8, column 9, diagonally up and to the left
- LUNGS: row 8, column 15, up
- PANCREAS: row 1, column 10, down
- PELVIS: row 10, column 2, down
- RIBCAGE: row 2, column 2, diagonally down and to the right
- SKULL: row 2, column 9, across to the left
- SPINE: row 14, column 15, diagonally up and to the left
- TENDON: row 14, column 10, diagonally up and to the right
- THROAT: row 1, column 3, diagonally down and to the right
About this body parts word search
Body vocabulary is among the earliest word lists in primary school and in language classes, and the default puzzle covers ten words children may use every day, shoulder, elbow, ankle, finger, stomach, eyebrow, kidney, muscle, tongue and wrist. Some are parts you can see and some are inside, which gives you a reason to look at a body diagram.
The easy puzzle uses the simplest words: hand, foot, nose, knee, head, arm, leg and ear. They suit very young children and learners of English. The challenge puzzle goes into anatomy with hamstring, abdomen, ligament, tendon, pancreas and esophagus, a vocabulary for students in a health or science class. Words such as spine, skull and ribcage make a skeleton theme.
Puzzles work well alongside a labelling worksheet: students find the word in the grid, then write it on the right part of a diagram. In a language class, the same approach works for body vocabulary in a second language, and the generator lets you make a puzzle in Spanish or French with accents simplified. A related puzzle for movement classes would pair this list with the sports words.
Word notes
- Shoulder: the joint where the arm meets the body.
- Elbow: the hinge joint in the middle of the arm.
- Ankle: the joint connecting the foot and the leg.
- Stomach: the organ that begins digesting food.
- Kidney: one of two organs that filter blood and make urine.
- Muscle: tissue that contracts to move parts of the body.
- Tongue: a muscle in the mouth used for tasting, chewing and speaking.
Vocabulary tip
Use the puzzle with a diagram. Ask students to find each word, then label that part on a body outline. It turns a recognition task into a recall task.
Difficulty guide
- Generator (default list). The 10 words run from 5 letters (elbow, ankle and wrist) to 8 letters (shoulder), 6.1 letters on average and 61 letters in all, which fills about 31% of the default 14 x 14 grid. On the default Medium setting, words can run in five directions. Choose Easy for across, down and diagonal-right only, or Hard to add backwards and upwards.
- Easy puzzle. 8 words of 3 to 4 letters in a 10 x 10 grid, with nothing hidden backwards or upwards.
- Challenge puzzle. 16 words of 5 to 9 letters in a 15 x 15 grid, with 10 of them hidden backwards or upwards. In the challenge puzzle, ligament and tendon are often confused, as are esophagus and pancreas, so students may want a diagram open beside them.
Ways to use it
- Pair the puzzle with a body outline: find a word, then label it.
- Play Simon Says with the easy words after solving.
- To use your own list, edit the words in the box at the top of the page and press Generate puzzle, or press New layout, same words for a fresh grid. Print it with Show answers ticked to add a separate answer page.
- Which words in the default puzzle are organs?
- Stomach and kidney are organs. Muscle is a tissue, and the others are parts of the body you can see or move.
- What is the difference between a ligament and a tendon?
- A tendon joins muscle to bone, and a ligament joins bone to bone. Both are in the challenge puzzle.
- Can I use this to teach body words in another language?
- Yes. Type the words in Spanish, French or another language that uses the Latin alphabet; accents are simplified in the grid, and the letter N with a tilde is kept.
- Is the body puzzle suitable for young children?
- The easy puzzle with hand, foot, nose, knee, head, arm, leg and ear is designed for them. The challenge is for older students.
FAQ
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