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Two Step Word Problems - Printable Mathematics Worksheets year 3 - Wayground

Two Step Word Problems

16 questions

3rd - 3rd Grade

Mathematics

Two Step Word Problems is a free printable Grade 3 mathematics worksheet that helps students solve two-step problems by identifying the operations required and carrying them out in sequence. Across 16 multiple-choice items, students work with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in contexts involving money, books, groups, quantities, and everyday situations. Several questions ask students to choose the expression that represents the problem, while others ask them to select the final answer. The worksheet builds students’ ability to separate a word problem into two manageable steps, connect language such as “each,” “equal groups,” and “left” to mathematical operations, and check whether an expression matches the situation. It is useful for guided practice, independent review, homework, or a quick assessment of multi-step problem-solving. The worksheet is available as a free printable PDF and includes a complete answer key for efficient checking.

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Worksheets

Two Step Word Problems

Total questions: 16

Name
Class
Date
1.
Julianna has 48 bags of treats. She is going to give 3 bags to her teacher. She will then give the rest out equally to her 5 friends. How many bags of treats will each friend receive?
a)
40 bags of treats
b)
9 bags of treats
c)
5 bags of treats
d)
50 bags of treats
2.
Angela had 18 Pokemon cards. Her brother gave her 45 more Pokemon cards. She then divided her cards into 9 equal groups. How many Pokemon cards are in each group?
a)
18 Pokemon cards
b)
54 Pokemon Cards
c)
7 Pokemon Cards
d)
9 Pokemon Cards
3.
Yovanni received $52 for his birthday. He spent $44 on a new video game. 
He then earned shared that money equally with his brother. Which expression shows how to solve this problem?
a)
(52 - 44) - 8
b)
(52 + 44) ÷ 2
c)
(52 - 44) + 2
d)
(52 - 44) ÷ 2
4.
Marcus had a collection of Batman books. He had 12 books in his collection. He was given some more Batman books, which increased his collection 3 times. Sadly, Marcus lost 5 of the books on a trip. Which expression will help solve for how many books Marcus has left?
a)
(12 + 3) - 5
b)
(12 x 3) - 5
c)
(12 - 3) - 5
d)
(12 x 5) - 3
5.
Unique had 49 head bands. She split them into 7 equal groups. She gave her sister 2 of the groups for a present. Which expression below will help you solve how many head bands Unique has left?
a)
(49 ÷ 7) - 14
b)
(49 ÷ 7) - 2
c)
(49 - 7) ÷ 2
d)
(49 ÷ 7) ÷ 2
6.
Each student in Ms. Diggs's class received 4 free books. There are 12 students in her class. 11 of the books were non-fiction. Which expression shows you how to figure out how many fiction books were in the class?
a)
(4 + 12) - 11
b)
(4 x 12) + 11
c)
(4 x 12) - 11
d)
(4 x 12) ÷ 11
7.

James has 7 bags of 6 goldfish and one bag of 10 minnows. Which equation would show the total number of fish James has?

a)

7 x 6 - 10 = f

b)

7 x 6 x 10 = f

c)

7 + 4 + 10 = f

d)

7 x 6 + 10 = f

8.
Allison is reading a book with 99 pages.  She read 37 pages on Monday.  Then she read 42 pages on Tuesday.  How many pages does she still have to read?
a)
178
b)
79
c)
20
d)
62
9.

867 books were in the school library. 322 books were checked out in the morning. Then 131 more books were check out in the afternoon. How many books are still in the library?

a)

545

b)

414

c)

736

d)

453

10.

Lacy has 5 watermelons. Each watermelon has 9 seeds. If each seed can grow 2 watermelons, how many watermelons can Lacy grow?

a)

45 watermelons

b)

90 watermelons

c)

10 watermelons

d)

18 watermelons

11.
There are 48 students in the band. The boys and girls are in separate rows. There are 6 students in each row. There are 3 rows of boys. How many rows of girls are there?
a)
18
b)
30
c)
5
d)
8
12.

Mr. Kessler has 22 students in his class. Today, 2 students are absent. Mr. Kessler puts the students that are there into 4 equal groups. How many students are in each group?

a)

20

b)

80

c)

5

d)

6

13.

Evan is in charge of getting oranges for today’s soccer game. He buys 2 bags with 6 oranges in each bag. He also buys 4 loose oranges. Choose the expression that can be used to find the number of oranges Evan gets in all.

a)

2 x 6 x 4

b)

2 + 6 + 4

c)

6 + 6 + 4

d)

2 + 6 x 4

14.
Sierra had $34 in her bank account. She worked and put in another $54 in her account. She then purchased 8 scarves that all cost the same amount with her money. Which expression shows how much money each scarf cost?
a)
(34 + 54) - 8
b)
(34 + 54) + 8
c)
(34 + 54) ÷ 8
d)
(34 + 54) x 8
15.

Madison spent $22 on a gift for her mother and $25 on a gift for her father. If she had $90 to start with, how much money does she have left after buying the gifts for her parents?

a)

$32

b)

$40

c)

$43

d)

$53

16.

Mr. Lewis is on a motor bike team. The team has a total of 9 members. Each member on her team has 2 bikes. Each bike has 2 wheels. Which equation can be used to find the total number of bike wheels, W, the team has?

a)

W=9+2+2

b)

W=9÷2×2

c)

W=9×2×2

d)

W=9+2×2

Answer Key

Two Step Word Problems

Total questions: 16

1.
b) 9 bags of treats
2.
c) 7 Pokemon Cards
3.
d) (52 - 44) ÷ 2
4.
b) (12 x 3) - 5
5.
a) (49 ÷ 7) - 14
6.
c) (4 x 12) - 11
7.
d)

7 x 6 + 10 = f

8.
c) 20
9.
b)

414

10.
b)

90 watermelons

11.
c) 5
12.
c)

5

13.
c)

6 + 6 + 4

14.
c) (34 + 54) ÷ 8
15.
c)

$43

16.
c)

W=9×2×2

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FAQs

What does this Two Step Word Problems worksheet help Grade 3 students practise?

This Grade 3 mathematics worksheet uses 16 multiple-choice word problems to practise solving two-step situations with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Students must either select the correct final answer or identify the expression that represents the two operations, such as combining quantities and then dividing them into equal groups.

How can I use this worksheet to teach two-step word problems?

Model one item by having students underline the quantities, circle action words such as “gave,” “more,” “each,” or “left,” and write the first operation before choosing the second. Then ask students to explain why an expression matches the story, using the worksheet’s contexts such as books, money, groups, and pages read. Use the remaining multiple-choice items for guided practice before assigning independent work.

What mistakes should I watch for on this two-step word-problem worksheet?

Watch for students completing only the first operation, reversing the order of operations, or choosing an expression that uses the right numbers but the wrong operation. Students may also confuse multiplication with addition in repeated-group situations or overlook a final subtraction after quantities are combined. Ask them to describe what each number and operation represents in the specific story before selecting an answer.

How do I assign and grade this Two Step Word Problems worksheet?

Wayground provides this worksheet as a printable PDF and as a digital quiz, and it includes a complete answer key for all 16 multiple-choice items. You can assign the digital version through Wayground or print it for paper practice; printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app.

How can I differentiate this two-step word-problem worksheet for my students?

Use the worksheet’s Advanced Settings to adjust font spacing or increase the font size so the multi-step problem text and answer choices are easier to follow. You can also apply a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language, depending on the needs of your students.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a comprehensive collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across all subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to help students master essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

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