Fall & Autumn Word Search Puzzles
When the leaves start turning, classrooms shift into autumn mode — and a fall word search is a natural fit for morning work, early finishers, or a quiet Friday afternoon. This page holds two printable puzzles built around the season everyone argues about naming: crisp air, raking leaves, harvest fairs, and the first warm mugs of the year. The 12×12 medium puzzle uses twelve autumn words in forward and vertical directions, sized for second through fourth graders who are still practicing systematic scanning. The 15×15 hard puzzle adds backward and diagonal hiding spots for fifth graders, middle schoolers, and adults who want a slower solve. Both grids print one per US Letter page with a name and date line, and each answer key lives on its own page so the solution stays out of sight until you want it. The vocabulary doubles as a seasonal word bank: after solving, students can sort the words into what they see, smell, taste, and feel in autumn, a quick sensory-writing warm-up that fits October bulletin boards. Because the puzzles are generated from fixed seeds and verified by script, the grids are clean — every word genuinely placed, no rude accidents hiding in the filler letters. Want a version with your class's own observations, like a leaf-peeping field trip word list? Open the word search maker and start from the fall starter pack.
Puzzle 1 — Fall & Autumn Word Search (12×12 Medium)
| P | U | M | P | K | I | N | S | I | K | T | L |
| G | R | B | O | E | N | I | S | F | S | U | N |
| F | V | N | A | M | M | C | C | X | W | O | V |
| K | Y | C | U | G | P | R | A | A | E | S | J |
| P | V | T | Z | G | N | I | R | I | A | C | I |
| F | U | N | N | R | S | S | F | E | T | V | C |
| A | E | E | O | E | R | P | L | W | E | Q | B |
| L | X | C | V | D | Y | P | Q | V | R | G | R |
| J | A | A | R | D | P | L | I | B | M | F | A |
| F | E | L | N | A | C | I | D | E | R | E | K |
| L | Z | I | A | H | N | D | T | K | S | O | E |
| T | W | V | C | K | H | A | R | V | E | S | T |
- n.acorn — an oak's seed
- n.apple — a crisp fall fruit
- n.autumn — another name for fall
- n.cider — a warm apple drink
- adj.crisp — cool and dry
- n.harvest — gathering crops
- n.leaves — they change color and fall
- n.pumpkin — an orange fall icon
- n.rake — a leaf-gathering tool
- n.scarf — worn when it cools down
- n.sweater — a warm knit top
- adj.windy — blowing leaves around
Show Answer Key
The answer key prints on its own page after the puzzle.
| P | U | M | P | K | I | N | S | I | K | T | L |
| G | R | B | O | E | N | I | S | F | S | U | N |
| F | V | N | A | M | M | C | C | X | W | O | V |
| K | Y | C | U | G | P | R | A | A | E | S | J |
| P | V | T | Z | G | N | I | R | I | A | C | I |
| F | U | N | N | R | S | S | F | E | T | V | C |
| A | E | E | O | E | R | P | L | W | E | Q | B |
| L | X | C | V | D | Y | P | Q | V | R | G | R |
| J | A | A | R | D | P | L | I | B | M | F | A |
| F | E | L | N | A | C | I | D | E | R | E | K |
| L | Z | I | A | H | N | D | T | K | S | O | E |
| T | W | V | C | K | H | A | R | V | E | S | T |
- acorn
- apple
- autumn
- cider
- crisp
- harvest
- leaves
- pumpkin
- rake
- scarf
- sweater
- windy
Puzzle 2 — Fall & Autumn Word Search (15×15 Hard)
| U | S | C | A | R | E | C | R | O | W | W | E | N | S | Y |
| M | C | C | C | E | G | A | I | L | O | F | T | P | O | L |
| B | X | Y | U | D | F | X | D | F | Y | H | M | R | S | R |
| R | L | D | U | D | O | R | S | F | G | J | C | K | V | V |
| E | V | D | F | N | U | E | E | I | I | H | H | W | O | W |
| L | I | X | I | O | T | D | L | B | A | I | C | N | U | Z |
| L | L | U | G | L | I | I | B | R | B | O | S | V | M | Z |
| A | Q | K | E | R | W | R | D | E | R | U | U | A | D | L |
| E | X | I | Y | T | E | N | R | N | N | N | I | T | Q | J |
| B | A | A | F | E | E | N | M | F | K | Z | L | T | C | M |
| T | H | E | Z | K | A | A | L | D | E | I | L | Q | D | U |
| T | U | E | L | T | Z | O | S | L | U | U | K | E | N | E |
| S | O | R | E | E | W | Z | K | Q | J | V | U | H | O | B |
| K | U | A | Z | E | T | J | H | Y | V | Z | J | B | P | N |
| O | O | L | R | Y | F | M | I | G | R | A | T | I | O | N |
- n.breeze — a gentle wind
- n.cornmaze — a fall puzzle field
- n.equinox — when day and night balance
- n.foliage — collective leaves
- n.gourd — a hard-shelled relative of squash
- n.hayride — a wagon ride through fields
- verbhibernate — to sleep through winter
- n.maize — corn, dried on the stalk
- n.migration — seasonal travel of birds
- n.orchard — where apple trees grow
- n.quilt — a stitched warm blanket
- n.scarecrow — a field guardian
- n.sunflower — a tall late-season bloom
- n.twilight — the dim light after sunset
- n.umbrella — for fall rain showers
Show Answer Key
The answer key prints on its own page after the puzzle.
| U | S | C | A | R | E | C | R | O | W | W | E | N | S | Y |
| M | C | C | C | E | G | A | I | L | O | F | T | P | O | L |
| B | X | Y | U | D | F | X | D | F | Y | H | M | R | S | R |
| R | L | D | U | D | O | R | S | F | G | J | C | K | V | V |
| E | V | D | F | N | U | E | E | I | I | H | H | W | O | W |
| L | I | X | I | O | T | D | L | B | A | I | C | N | U | Z |
| L | L | U | G | L | I | I | B | R | B | O | S | V | M | Z |
| A | Q | K | E | R | W | R | D | E | R | U | U | A | D | L |
| E | X | I | Y | T | E | N | R | N | N | N | I | T | Q | J |
| B | A | A | F | E | E | N | M | F | K | Z | L | T | C | M |
| T | H | E | Z | K | A | A | L | D | E | I | L | Q | D | U |
| T | U | E | L | T | Z | O | S | L | U | U | K | E | N | E |
| S | O | R | E | E | W | Z | K | Q | J | V | U | H | O | B |
| K | U | A | Z | E | T | J | H | Y | V | Z | J | B | P | N |
| O | O | L | R | Y | F | M | I | G | R | A | T | I | O | N |
- breeze
- cornmaze
- equinox
- foliage
- gourd
- hayride
- hibernate
- maize
- migration
- orchard
- quilt
- scarecrow
- sunflower
- twilight
- umbrella
Make your own fall & autumn word search
Use this theme's word list as a starting point — add names, change the grid size, and print a custom puzzle in seconds. Free, no signup.
More Puzzles to Try
Free printable word searches for the same season and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this an autumn word search too?
Yes — fall and autumn are the same season. The word lists mix both vocabularies, so the page works whichever word your region uses.
What ages are the two puzzles for?
The medium 12×12 puzzle suits grades 2-4. The hard 15×15 puzzle, with backward and diagonal words, challenges grades 5 and up, including adults.
Can I print these for my whole class?
Yes — teachers can print unlimited copies for classroom use. Each puzzle fits one page, and the answer key prints separately on page two.
Can I add my own fall words?
Yes. Use the Word Search Maker with the fall starter pack, then edit the list, resize the grid, and print a custom autumn puzzle.