Veterans Day Word Search in Large Print
ARMISTICE, BOOTCAMP, HOMECOMING — four puzzles for November 11, set in large, dignified type.
4 puzzles · 70 words · 12 × 12 to 18 × 18 grids · Free to print and photocopy, with every answer key included as page two of its PDF.
Puzzle 1
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Puzzle 2 — a fresh word list
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Puzzle 3 — Gentler 12×12 grid
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Puzzle 4 — Tougher 18×18 grid
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Make one with your own words. Grandchildren's names, this week's menu, the streets of a hometown: the free word search maker prints them in the same big letters, with an answer key.
More large print word searches
Why November 11
Veterans Day falls on the anniversary of the armistice that ended the fighting of the First World War — at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. In the United States it was called Armistice Day until 1954, when it was renamed to honor veterans of every war. That is where ELEVENTHHOUR and ARMISTICE in these grids come from.
It is easy to confuse with Memorial Day, and the difference matters to the people it is for. Memorial Day in May remembers those who died in service; Veterans Day thanks everyone who served, living or not. The word lists here lean toward service itself — the branches, the ranks, BARRACKS, MESSHALL, LETTERSHOME and the HOMECOMING — rather than loss.
Using these with a group that includes veterans
In many care homes and senior centers, a good share of the room served, or was married to someone who did. The second puzzle is built from the everyday words of service life, and it rarely stays a quiet activity for long: someone finds FURLOUGH or DOGTAGS and the stories start. Let them. Ask which branch, where they were stationed, what the food was like.
Print the week before, so the sheets are ready for whatever the building does on the day. One US Letter page per puzzle, answer key on page two of the PDF, and they photocopy cleanly in any quantity.
Planning puzzles for a care home or senior center? The memory care activities page lays the whole year out as a printable monthly calendar, and activities for nursing home residents covers what works for a mixed group.
Which size should you print?
Every puzzle on this page fills one US Letter sheet. What changes is how many letters share it — fewer letters means each one prints larger. The gentler grid is the one to reach for if reading the page is the hard part; the tougher grid is for solvers who want a long hunt and find the standard size too quick.
Want a whole page at one size instead? The extra large print puzzles use 10×10 grids with our biggest letters, the jumbo and easy pages use 12×12, and the giant and hard pages pack 22–24 words into an 18×18 grid.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print these veterans day word searches?
Click "Download PDF" under any puzzle for a print-ready US Letter file (the answer key is included as page two), or click "Print" to send it straight to your printer. Both print well on A4 too. Print at 100% scale — avoid "fit to page", which can shrink the grid.
How large is the print in these puzzles?
Each 15 × 15 grid fills a full US Letter page, so the letters print in about 20-point type, about three-sixteenths of an inch tall. That is bigger than the 16- to 18-point type used in large-print books. This page also has a 12×12 grid at about 27-point and an 18×18 grid at about 14-point. Everything uses the Atkinson Hyperlegible typeface, designed by the Braille Institute for low-vision readers.
How hard are these puzzles?
Words run across, down and diagonally, but never backwards. There are 70 words to find across 4 puzzles, and every answer key is free with the PDFs.
Can I photocopy these puzzles for a group?
Yes — print and photocopy them freely for your family, classroom, library, activity group or care home. That is exactly what they are for.
What is the difference between this and the Memorial Day word search?
Memorial Day in May remembers those who died in military service, so that page is about remembrance. Veterans Day on November 11 honors everyone who served, so these puzzles are about service itself — the branches, the ranks and coming home. The two pages share only a handful of words.
Are these suitable for a veterans’ group or a care home?
Yes. The vocabulary is respectful and familiar to anyone who served — there is nothing graphic. Every puzzle is free to print and photocopy for any group.