Multi-Step Word Problems | Student Worksheet

The Big Idea

Some word problems need more than one step to solve.

You might need to add, subtract, multiply, or divide—sometimes more than one!

The key is to understand the story and figure out what to do step by step.

How to Solve Word Problems

READ the whole problem carefully. What is the story about?

FIND the question. What are you trying to figure out?

PLAN your steps. What do you need to find FIRST?

SOLVE each step. Write equations and find answers.

CHECK your answer. Does it make sense?

Example: Two-Step Problem

Problem: Emma has 4 boxes of markers. Each box has 8 markers. She gives 10 markers to her friend. How many markers does Emma have now?

Let's Solve It Step by Step:

Step 1: Find how many markers Emma has in all.

4 boxes × 8 markers = 32 markers

Step 2: Subtract the markers she gives away.

32 markers - 10 markers = 22 markers

Answer: Emma has 22 markers now.

Check: 22 is less than 32. That makes sense because she gave some away!

Which Operation Should I Use?

Addition (+)

Putting things together, finding a total, combining groups

Subtraction (−)

Taking away, finding what's left, comparing amounts

Multiplication (×)

Equal groups, rows and columns (arrays), "times as many"

Division (÷)

Sharing equally, making equal groups, "how many in each"

Remember: Don't just look for keywords! Think about what's really happening in the story.

Another Example: Division Then Subtraction

Problem: There are 24 students in a class. The teacher divides them into 4 equal groups for a project. One student in each group is the leader. How many students in each group are NOT leaders?

Let's Solve It Step by Step:

Step 1: Find how many students are in each group.

24 students ÷ 4 groups = 6 students per group

Step 2: Subtract the leader from each group.

6 students - 1 leader = 5 students

Answer: 5 students in each group are not leaders.

Your Turn: Solve These Problems

Problem 1

A baker made 6 trays of cupcakes. Each tray has 12 cupcakes. He sold 35 cupcakes in the morning. How many cupcakes does he have left?

Show your work:

Answer: cupcakes

Problem 2

Maria has 45 stickers. Her mom gives her 27 more. She wants to share all her stickers equally among her 8 friends. How many stickers will each friend get?

Show your work:

Answer: stickers each

Problem 3

A pet store has 3 fish tanks. Each tank has 9 fish. The store sells 5 fish from one tank. How many fish are in the store now?

Show your work:

Answer: fish