12 puzzles · all free to play and print
Literary Terms Word Search
Free Literary Terms word search puzzles to print or play online.
Play online or print
Story Parts
8 words to find
- PLOT
- SETTING
- THEME
- HERO
- VILLAIN
- CHAPTER
- ENDING
- TITLE
Drag from the first to the last letter of a word, or tap the first letter and then the last. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
All 12 Literary Terms puzzles stay free here. Want them as one printable booklet?
12 printable Literary Terms word search puzzles
twelve puzzles in three levels, from easy 10 by 10 grids with eight words across and down, to medium 13 by 13 grids with twelve words and diagonals, to hard 16 by 16 grids with eighteen words in every direction, backwards too. Themes include Story Parts, Figurative Language, Elements of Plot and Poetry Forms. Every puzzle has an answer key and prints on US Letter or A4. Every one of these 12 puzzles is free: play it online above or print its PDF, with the answer key on page 2. No account, no email.
Easy: across and down 4 puzzles
Medium: across, down and diagonal 4 puzzles
Hard: every direction, backwards too 4 puzzles
Optional · all in one file
Want all 12 in one booklet?
You do not need it: every Literary Terms puzzle above is free to play and to download one by one. The booklet is only for printing them all at once, a 26-page PDF with a cover, a contents page and the answer keys at the back. Buying it also keeps this site free for everyone.
One-time payment, secure checkout with Stripe. US Letter and A4 PDFs, the download link arrives by email.
How to use these Literary Terms word searches
Use the easy puzzles at the start of a reading unit, and the medium grids as a vocabulary review before a test. English teachers can hand out the hard puzzles to advanced classes, and book clubs can use them as a light warm-up. Each PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
Make your own Literary Terms word search
Add your own words, a name or a class list to these literary terms words and pick a level. The preview is free; the printable PDF with its answer key is $1.99.
Good to know about Literary Terms word search
Every Literary Terms puzzle on this page is free to play online and free to print as a PDF with its answer key, one by one. Only the optional booklet, all 12 puzzles bundled into one print-ready file, costs money.
Figurative Language is a medium puzzle with simile, metaphor, hyperbole, idiom, alliteration, irony, oxymoron and euphemism. It fits grades 5 to 8. Advanced Devices goes further, with synecdoche and zeugma.
Story Parts, Kinds of Books, Poem Words and People in Stories are easy 10 by 10 puzzles with words such as plot, theme, rhyme and author. They match ages 6 to 8 and the first terms taught in class.
Great Authors lists writers such as Austen, Twain, Orwell and Kafka, and Classic Works lists books such as Hamlet, Beowulf and Frankenstein. No living authors and no recent titles are used.
Easy puzzles (10 by 10, words across and down) work from about age 6. Medium puzzles (13 by 13, diagonals added) suit ages 8 to 11. Hard puzzles (16 by 16, every direction, backwards too) are for older kids and adults.
Page 2 of every PDF is the answer key, with each word marked where it hides. When you play online, the Show answers button marks them on the grid.
Every puzzle comes as a US Letter PDF (8.5 by 11 inches) and an A4 PDF (210 by 297 mm). Print at 100% or Actual size.
Every puzzle on this page plays in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer: drag or tap from the first to the last letter of a word. Nothing to install and no account.
Print as many copies as you need for your home, classroom, church group or care home. Please link to this page instead of uploading the files elsewhere.