Vocabulary Matching Puzzle

Ideal for vocabulary in any content area! This makes a great 5-minute sponge activity. Just type your list and Excel automatically generates a vocabulary puzzle. Each puzzle contains 9-25 squares. Every square has a vocabulary word or definition along each of the four sides, and students must match them up. A list of 50 words will create one large puzzle. I have added smaller puzzles to accomodate shorter lists. Any list can be shuffled to create multiple versions of a puzzle.

I have students put a color or pattern on the back of each puzzle and then cut apart the puzzles the first time we play, and we store them in envelopes. The pattern on the back allows for quicker identification of misplaced pieces.

** If you want to have clock times in your puzzle, or other numbers that you want to appear just as you type them, put a single apostrophe before your number. So 2:15 will show up in the puzzle if you type it as '2:15 in the list. (Thanks to Erin S. for catching this!)