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Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1000: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1000 is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children multiply whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000 and watch the digits shift to the left. It takes about 15 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
The sheet is a set of numbered multiplication questions with space to write each answer. Children multiply by 10, 100 and 1000. Some starting numbers are single digits, some have two digits and some already end in a zero. A place value grid can help children see each digit slide to a bigger column, with zeros filling the gaps.
- 34 x 10
- 7 x 100
- 45 x 1000
- 120 x 10
- 6 x 1000
- 52 x 100
- 300 x 10
- 9 x 100
A worked example
81 x 100
This is a different question that shows two ways to think about the same idea.
Method 1: slide the digits in a place value grid- Write 81 in the grid: 8 in the tens column and 1 in the ones column.
- Multiplying by 100 makes every digit 100 times bigger. Each digit moves two columns to the left.
- The 8 moves to the thousands column. The 1 moves to the hundreds column.
- Put a zero in the tens and ones columns so nothing is left empty. Read the number: 8100.
- Multiplying by 100 is the same as multiplying by 10 and then by 10 again.
- 81 x 10 = 810. The digits move one column left.
- 810 x 10 = 8100. The digits move one more column left.
Ideas to build understanding
Use a place value grid
Draw columns for thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. Write a number with one digit in each box. Rub out and rewrite the digits one column to the left. Children see that the digits move, not that a zero is stuck on the end.
Say the column names
Read each answer aloud with its place value. Say "four hundreds" rather than "four zero zero". Naming the columns helps children trust the pattern and read big numbers correctly.
Link 10, 100 and 1000
Show that 100 is ten tens and 1000 is ten hundreds. Multiplying by 100 is the same as multiplying by 10 twice. This shows why the digits move two columns for 100 and three for 1000.
Predict before writing
Before each answer, ask how many columns the digits will move and how many zeros will be needed as placeholders. Then write the answer and check it. Prediction turns a rule into reasoning.
Why digits move when we multiply by 10, 100 and 1000
Our number system is built on place value. Each column is worth ten times the column to its right. The ones column is followed by tens, then hundreds, then thousands. So when a number is multiplied by 10, every digit becomes ten times bigger and moves one column to the left. The value of each digit changes because of where it sits.
Zero has an important job here. It is a placeholder that keeps the other digits in the right columns. Many children learn "just add a zero". That shortcut works for whole numbers but causes trouble later with decimals. Teaching the digits to move left builds an idea that still works when children meet larger numbers and decimals.
Skills and curriculum link
- Place value
- Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1000
- Zero as a placeholder
- Explaining reasoning
- Reading larger numbers
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Multiplication and division | Year 4 |
What children will be able to do
- I can multiply a whole number by 10.
- I can multiply a whole number by 100 and 1000.
- I can explain how the digits move.
Ideas to help children understand
- Columns have valuesEach column in a number is worth ten times the column on its right. This is why a digit changes value when it moves.
- Digits move, zero fillsWhen a whole number is multiplied by 10, 100 or 1000, the digits move left. Any empty columns are filled with zero.
- Ten tens make a hundredMultiplying by 100 does the same job as multiplying by 10 twice. The same links work for 1000.
- Zero is a placeholderA zero shows that a column is empty. Without it, the other digits would sit in the wrong columns and the number would be wrong.
Key words
- MultiplyMake an amount a certain number of times bigger by adding equal groups.
- Place valueThe value a digit has because of the column it is in.
- DigitOne of the symbols 0 to 9 used to write numbers.
- PlaceholderA zero that keeps a column filled so the other digits stay in the right place.
- ThousandsThe column to the left of hundreds. A digit here is worth one thousand for each one.
- ProductThe answer when you multiply.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first question together. Ask your child where each digit will go in a place value grid.
- Let them work through the questions in their own way. Encourage them to say how many columns the digits move.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "What happened to each digit?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to it another day and redo any tricky questions. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Put each number in a place value grid and slide the digits to the left. Start with the questions that multiply by 10, then move on to 100 and 1000. Say the column names aloud, and fill empty columns with zeros.
To stretch confident children
Choose three answers from the sheet and write the reverse division for each. Then make up your own questions that end in a zero, or have a zero in the middle, and swap them with a friend to solve.
Make it a game
Roll one dice for the number. Roll again to choose the multiplier: 1 or 2 means x 10, 3 or 4 means x 100, 5 or 6 means x 1000. Both players write the answer. A correct answer scores a point. First to 5 points wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes the wrong number of zeros, for example writing 5 x 100 as 50.
Try thisUse a place value grid. Show that for 100 the digit moves two columns left, so two columns are left to fill with zeros.
Watch forA child leaves out the placeholder zero and writes digits too close together.
Try thisAsk them to say the number aloud with column names. Check that each digit sits in the column it should be in.
Watch forA child moves digits to the right instead of to the left.
Try thisRemind them that multiplying makes a number bigger. Ask whether the answer is bigger or smaller than the start number.
Talk about it
- What happens to each digit when you multiply by 10?
- Why do we need a zero as a placeholder?
- How is multiplying by 100 different from multiplying by 10?
- Can you explain why the answer is bigger than the number you started with?
- How would you work out 46 times 1000?
- What pattern can you see in your answers?
Take it off the page
Place value strips
Write the digits of a number on separate bits of paper and lay them in columns labelled hundreds, tens and ones. Slide them left to multiply by 10, then fill the gaps with zero cards.
Toy shop money
Use play money to show that ten 10p coins make one pound and one hundred 1p coins make one pound. Talk about how the amounts get bigger by ten times each time.
Number pattern trail
Pick a starting number. Write it, then write it multiplied by 10, then by 100, then by 1000, in a column. Look at the pattern and describe how the digits move.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. About 15 minutes is plenty. If they get stuck, draw a place value grid and slide the digits together.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary after teaching place value, an early finisher task or homework. A place value grid supports children who need it, and the stretch idea challenges confident learners.
Home educators
Print it as part of your maths plan and let your child explain how the digits move. It can be reused for brothers and sisters, or as revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in maths
Before this, children learn place value for whole numbers and practise their times tables. Knowing that each column is worth ten times the one on its right is the key idea. Counting in tens, hundreds and thousands also helps.
After this, children learn to divide whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000. Later they use the same ideas with decimals and larger numbers, and with converting between units of measure.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- What happens to each digit when you multiply by 10?
- Why do we need a zero as a placeholder?
- How would you work out 46 times 1000?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1000 for?
It is written for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9), in Key Stage 2. Children who need extra support can use a place value grid, and confident children can try the stretch idea on page 2.
- What will children practise?
Children practise multiplying whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000 by moving digits to the left. They also use zero as a placeholder and explain how place value changes.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 15 minutes. Children can do it alone or with a grown-up for the first go. Shorter bursts work well, and they can return to it on another day.
- What if it feels too hard?
Put each number in a place value grid and slide the digits to the left. Start with the questions that multiply by 10, then move to 100 and 1000. Say the column names aloud.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Black and white printing is fine.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.