Anagram Families -- A Year of Puzzles

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Following are 36 anagram puzzles, one for each week of the school year. Each week, write one group of four anagrams on a chalkboard or a chart for all students to see. Students study the anagrams, unscramble the letters to make a word, and determine what the four words have in common. For example:

I PLOT
TRAITS
DENTS IT
RANGER ED

Answers: pilot, artist, dentist, and gardener. All four words identify jobs people do.

Adapting "Anagram Family Time" for Your Grade Level
If the Anagram Family Time activity above is too easy or difficult for your students, consider the concepts and vocabulary you are teaching in class. Adapt the game to include that grade-appropriate vocabulary. For example:

  • Provide four of the weeks spelling words as anagrams.
  • If you are teaching a unit on the community, provide anagrams that identify different buildings in a community.
  • If you are teaching a unit on dinosaurs, provide anagrams of some types of dinosaurs.
  • Provide anagrams of new vocabulary words introduced in a story you are reading aloud to the students.

If you think it is appropriate, have students work in pairs to complete this "puzzling activity."

1.

  • I PLOT
  • TRAITS
  • DENTS IT
  • RANGER ED
Answers: Pilot, artist, dentist, and gardener are jobs people hold.

2.

  • SHINGLE
  • HIS NAPS
  • SHE NICE
  • MANGER
Answers: English, Spanish, Chinese, and German are languages people speak.

3.

  • ELK PIC
  • MUD RATS
  • A MOTTO
  • THE PUCK
Answers: Pickle, mustard, tomato, and ketchup are condiments people put on hamburgers.

4.

  • THICKEN
  • BOREDOM
  • BEAN STEM
  • HAM ROBOT
Answers: Bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and basement are rooms in a house.

5.

  • MANY DO
  • SEA DUTY
  • SANDY WEED
  • YARD HUTS
Answers: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are days of the week.

6.

  • A GONER
  • LOVE IT
  • PULPER
  • QUITE SOUR
Answers: Orange, violet, purple, and turquoise are colors.

7.

  • TUTOR
  • CASH FIT
  • HOLD PIN
  • ROUND ELF
Answers: Trout, catfish, dolphin, and flounder are fish.

8.

  • RAPTOR
  • NO CALF
  • CARL AND I
  • BRING HIM MUD
Answers: Parrot, falcon, cardinal, and hummingbird are birds.

9.

  • HEART
  • RUNS AT
  • TEEN PUN
  • USA RUN
Answers: Earth, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus are planets.

10.

  • SAD MA
  • A NIGHT SNOW
  • JEFF SNORE
  • RESOLVE TO
Answers: Adams, Washington, Jefferson, and Roosevelt were U.S. presidents.

11.

  • A CAT RAT INC
  • MARTIAN CHORE
  • ASIA ULTRA
  • OMAHA CURES IT
Answers: Antarctica, North America, Australia, and South America are continents.

12.

  • A MALL
  • A GROAN OK
  • PATIO PUSH MOP
  • RICHER SOON
Answers: Llama, kangaroo, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros are mammals.

13.

  • FORTS
  • STEEL
  • A TRUE TEMPER
  • MRS NOT SOW
Answers: Frost, sleet, temperature, and snowstorm are words related to weather.

14.

  • TEMP RUT
  • ROBOT MEN
  • SO A SNOB
  • CAT LINER
Answers: Trumpet, trombone, bassoon, and clarinet are musical instruments.

15.

  • REFRY
  • OCEAN
  • A BAT SILO
  • EMU BRAINS
Answers: Ferry, canoe, sailboat, and submarine are forms of water transportation.

16.

  • HAUL
  • BE TALL
  • MOBIL
  • SLEUTH
Answers: Hula, ballet, limbo, and hustle are dances.

17.

  • RAN IT
  • BY CECIL
  • CUBAN MEAL
  • BELOW SIMON
Answers: Train, bicycle, ambulance, and snowmobile are forms of transportation.

18.

  • BURN EM
  • INCA FORT
  • OBTAIN CRUST
  • ITALIC LIP MOUNT
Answers: Number, fraction, subtraction, and multiplication are math terms.

19.

  • CHEATER
  • EARN TIP
  • CAN ACT UNTO
  • IN A NEAT RIVER
Answers: Teacher, painter, accountant, and veterinarian are jobs people hold.

20.

  • RICH PET
  • CAR TECH
  • HOT SPORTS
  • RULE OF DIET
Answers: Pitcher, catcher, shortstop, and outfielder are positions on a baseball team.

21.

  • SPIN PHASE
  • END SASS
  • TIM STEP IN A POND
  • CEMENT EXIT
Answers: Happiness, sadness, disappointment, and excitement are emotions.

22.

  • I WRONG
  • SENT IN
  • LOFT A LOB
  • CHOKEY
Answers: Rowing, tennis, football, and hockey are sports.

23.

  • LIME
  • ON CUE
  • RELIT
  • CEMENT TIRE
Answers: Mile, ounce, liter, and centimeter are units of measure.

24.

  • LOOK, A HAM
  • A NIGHT SNOW
  • MY WIG ON
  • STATE CASH SUMS
Answers: Oklahoma, Washington, Wyoming, and Massachusetts are U.S. states.

25.

  • BOOST
  • LIP PRESS
  • FOR SALE
  • COIN SCAMS
Answers: Boots, slippers, loafers, and moccasins are types of footwear.

26.

  • LOOPED
  • BUG DOLL
  • HUNGRY DOE
  • MAD LATINA
Answers: Poodle, bulldog, greyhound, and Dalmatian are breeds of dogs.

27.

  • OH NO, LULU
  • NOT A SCREAM
  • ILL SHAVEN
  • INLAID PIANOS
Answers: Honolulu, Sacramento, Nashville, and Indianapolis are U.S. state capitals.

28.

  • BURY
  • PALER
  • DID MOAN
  • REAL MED
Answers: Ruby, pearl, diamond, and emerald are gemstones.

29.

  • REPRINT
  • PROM RAG
  • BAKED ROY
  • AS FEW ROT
Answers: Printer, program, keyboard, and software are words associated with a computer.

30.

  • A PEACH
  • JAVA ON
  • COKE HERE
  • WHAM OK
Answers: Apache, Navajo, Cherokee, and Mohawk are American Indian tribes.

31.

  • LIT UP
  • CAR AINT ON
  • A PIE NUT
  • RUIN A GEM
Answers: Tulip, carnation, petunia, and geranium are flowers.

32.

  • RIP BY A HOG
  • ELK FLOAT
  • TRY POE
  • FAT AS NY
Answers: Biography, folktale, poetry, and fantasy are types of literature.

33.

  • INK DYE
  • EARTH
  • TEENS IN IT
  • HAM COST
Answers: Kidney, heart, intestine, and stomach are organs in the body.

34.

  • NO PREPPIE
  • USE A GAS
  • MOMS HOURS
  • I CAN SHOVE
Answers: Pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and anchovies are foods people put on pizza.

35.

  • NERVED
  • VENICE DROP
  • ELLA EATS ASH
  • STAY TILL CAKE
Answers: Denver, Providence, Tallahassee, and Salt Lake City are U.S. state capitals.

36.

  • ANVIL AL
  • COOL CHEAT
  • STARRY BREW
  • IT IS A CHOP
Answers: Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and pistachio are ice cream flavors.