Multi-step word problems are one of the most important skills third graders tackle because they require reading carefully, choosing the right operations, and completing calculations in the correct order. Grade 3 is when students first encounter problems that cannot be solved with a single number sentence — they must plan two or more steps before finding the final answer.
The biggest challenge is that students often stop after the first step, treating an intermediate result as the final answer. In second grade, students solved one-step problems; by fourth grade, they will work with larger numbers and more complex multi-step scenarios. Building a systematic approach — identify what the problem asks, plan the steps, then execute — in Grade 3 is essential for that progression.
Our multi-step word problems worksheets give third graders structured practice spotting errors in two-step solutions, setting up and solving problems with mixed operations, and connecting problem situations to their matching expressions — developing both accuracy and problem-solving confidence.
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Browse all 12 printable worksheets below — click any card to open the full page.
Easy 
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A store sold 8 hats in the morning and 7 in the afternoon. If each hat costs $2, the store earned $
2. Jake has 4 boxes of 6 crayons. He gives 9 crayons away. He has
3. Emma has 50 beads. She uses 12 for a bracelet and 15 for a necklace. She has
4. There are 3 rows of 9 chairs. The teacher adds 5 more chairs. There are
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. Ben has 5 packs of 4 pencils and 3 loose pencils. He has 23 pencils in all.
T F
2. Lily has 30 stickers. She gives 8 to Amy and 6 to Noah. She has 18 stickers left.
T F
3. A bakery makes 6 trays of 3 muffins and has 12 muffins already. It has 30 muffins total.
T F
Multi-Step Word Problems
Easy
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A garden has 9 red flowers and 6 yellow flowers. After picking 4 flowers, there are
2. There are 5 tables with 8 plates each. The waiter brings 10 more plates. There are
3. Carlos has 100 points. He loses 35 points and then loses 20 more. He has
4. Sophie buys 2 packs of 10 markers and 6 extra markers. She has
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. Dan has 4 bags of 7 oranges. He gives away 10 oranges. He has 18 oranges left.
T F
2. There are 15 boys and 25 girls. They form teams of 8. They can make 6 full teams.
T F
3. A farmer collects 3 baskets of 6 eggs and finds 2 more eggs. He has 20 eggs total.
T F
Multi-Step Word Problems
Easy
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A bus has 28 passengers. At the first stop 9 get off and 5 get on. Now there are
2. Ryan buys 3 packs of 8 trading cards and gives 7 cards to his friend. He has
3. A garden has 4 rows of 6 tomato plants. The gardener adds 11 more plants. There are
4. Kai has 50 stickers. He uses 18 for one poster and 14 for another. He has
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. A shop sells 3 boxes of 9 donuts and 7 single donuts. It sells 34 donuts in all.
T F
2. Pablo has 40 coins. He spends 12 and then earns 8 more. He has 34 coins now.
T F
3. There are 8 bags of 5 oranges. After eating 10 oranges, 30 oranges are left.
T F
Multi-Step Word Problems
Easy
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A teacher has 60 sheets of paper. She gives 15 to one group and 20 to another. She has
2. There are 5 bags of 7 apples. After eating 12 apples, there are
3. Max earns $6 each day for 4 days. He spends $9 on a book. He has $
4. A pool has 36 swimmers. Then 14 leave and 8 new swimmers arrive. There are
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. A farmer picks 6 baskets of 5 apples and buys 8 more. He has 38 apples in all.
T F
2. Lily has 55 pages to read. She reads 20 on Monday and 15 on Tuesday. She has 25 pages left.
T F
3. A toy box has 3 layers of 10 blocks. After removing 6 blocks, 24 blocks remain.
T F
Multi-Step Word Problems
Medium
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A toy shop has 6 boxes of 4 cars. They receive 16 more cars. The shop has
2. Maria scores 35 points in round one and 28 in round two. She loses 15 points for penalties. Her score is
3. A baker makes 7 trays of 5 cookies. She packs them equally into 5 bags. Each bag has
4. A class has 50 pencils. After giving away 18, the rest are shared equally among 4 groups. Each group gets
5. Tyler has 9 packs of 3 erasers. He gives 12 erasers to friends. He has
6. A store sells 24 apples in the morning and 36 in the afternoon. They pack 10 apples per bag, filling
7. There are 8 rows of 6 desks in a hall. After removing 20 desks,
8. Nadia reads 45 pages on Monday and 15 on Tuesday. She has 22 pages left. The book has
9. A farm has 5 rows of 10 corn plants. The farmer plants 25 more. The farm has
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
3 bags of 8 apples, then eat 4
→
28
25 + 15, then split into 5 groups
→
34
10 × 4 packs, then lose 12
→
8
6 × 9 stickers, give away 20
→
20
Multi-Step Word Problems
Medium
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A class needs 4 groups of 7 chairs plus 12 extra chairs. They need
2. Leo has 80 trading cards. He trades 25 away and gives 30 to his sister. He has
3. A store sells 6 packs of 8 juice boxes. They divide all the boxes equally among 6 shelves. Each shelf has
4. A library gets 42 new books and 18 donated books. After lending out 35,
5. There are 5 rows of 9 plants. The gardener removes 7 dead plants. Now there are
6. A chef bakes 10 trays of 3 rolls. She adds 20 rolls from yesterday. She has
7. A tank holds 100 gallons. After using 47 gallons and then 28 more,
8. There are 3 cases of 12 water bottles shared equally among 9 kids. Each kid gets
9. Ava collects 8 bags of 5 seashells and finds 15 more on the beach. She has
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
7 × 4 toys, then buy 8 more
→
9
60 - 15, then subtract 20
→
25
9 × 3 books, share among 3 kids
→
36
5 × 6 coins, then spend 10
→
20
Multi-Step Word Problems
Medium
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A theater has 8 rows of 9 seats. After 25 people leave,
2. Kim picks 36 strawberries and her brother picks 24. They share them equally among 4 baskets. Each basket has
3. A bus carries 42 students. At the first stop 18 get off and 11 get on. There are
4. A camp has 7 tents with 6 campers each. After 15 campers go home,
5. Emma buys 4 packs of 12 colored pencils. She gives 18 pencils to her sister. She has
6. A school collects 55 cans on Monday and 35 on Tuesday. They pack 9 cans per box and fill
7. A parking lot has 75 cars. During lunch 30 cars leave and 18 arrive. There are
8. A farmer plants 6 rows of 8 corn seeds and 14 sunflower seeds. He plants
9. A store has 90 shirts. It sells 32 in the morning and 28 in the afternoon. There are
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
4 × 8 pencils, give away 14
→
60
50 + 30, split into 10 groups
→
8
9 × 5 stars, then add 15
→
25
72 - 28, then subtract 19
→
18
Multi-Step Word Problems
Medium
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A pizza shop makes 5 pizzas with 8 slices each. Customers eat 22 slices. There are
2. Liam has 64 baseball cards. He gives 19 to his brother and 25 to a friend. He has
3. A library gets 48 new books and 32 donated books. They put 10 books on each shelf, filling
4. There are 9 rows of 7 chairs in the gym. The janitor sets up 12 more chairs. There are
5. A store has 120 bottles of water. It sells 45 in the morning and 35 in the evening. It has
6. Maya collects 6 bags of 7 seashells. She loses 16 on the way home. She has
7. A class earns 38 points in week one and 42 in week two. They trade every 8 points for a prize and win
8. There are 4 teams of 11 players on a field. After 19 players leave,
9. A truck carries 85 boxes. It drops off 30 at the first stop and 25 at the second. It has
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
8 × 6 markers, give away 20
→
10
45 + 35, split into 8 groups
→
40
7 × 7 stickers, then add 11
→
28
100 - 36, then subtract 24
→
60
Multi-Step Word Problems
Hard
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A farmer has 8 rows of 7 apple trees. A storm knocks down 19 trees. How many trees are still standing?
2. A school collects 125 cans in week one and 75 cans in week two. They split them equally into 4 bins. How many cans are in each bin?
3. A bakery makes 9 batches of 6 muffins and already had 36 muffins. How many muffins does the bakery have now?
4. A store has 250 shirts. It sells 80 on Monday and 45 on Tuesday. How many shirts are left?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A box has 6 rows of 12 crayons. After using 18 crayons,
2. A class earns 48 points in math and 32 in reading. They trade every 10 points for a prize and earn
3. There are 7 teams of 9 players. If 27 more players join, there are
4. A toy store has 150 toys. It sells 65 in the morning and 40 in the afternoon. It has
5. A factory makes 5 batches of 15 bottles, then packs them into 3 equal crates. Each crate holds
Multi-Step Word Problems
Hard
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A book fair sells 4 packs of 25 bookmarks. Customers return 38 bookmarks. How many bookmarks were kept?
2. A class collects 36 bottles on Monday and 44 on Friday. They fill bags of 8 bottles each. How many bags do they fill?
3. A garden has 7 rows of 8 flowers. The gardener plants 24 more flowers. How many flowers are there now?
4. A shop starts with 200 hats. It sells 75 hats in week one and 50 in week two. How many hats remain?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A warehouse has 9 shelves with 8 boxes each. Workers remove 27 boxes. There are
2. Two classes raise $55 and $45 for charity. They split the money equally among 5 groups. Each group gets $
3. A baker makes 6 trays of 11 cookies. She adds 34 cookies from storage. She has
4. A farmer harvests 180 ears of corn. He sells 60 at market and gives 45 to neighbors. He keeps
5. A teacher has 8 packs of 10 stickers. She divides them equally among 4 students. Each student gets
Multi-Step Word Problems
Hard
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A movie theater has 6 rows of 12 seats. If 29 seats are empty, how many people are watching the movie?
2. A school orders 8 boxes of 15 notebooks. Teachers hand out 68 notebooks. How many notebooks are left?
3. A cafeteria prepares 45 sandwiches and 35 salads. They pack meals into boxes of 5. How many boxes do they fill?
4. A toy factory makes 9 batches of 8 action figures and already had 48 in storage. How many action figures are there now?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A bookstore has 145 books. It sells 53 on Saturday and 37 on Sunday. There are
2. A coach buys 7 packs of 12 water bottles. The team drinks 39 bottles. There are
3. Two classes collect 64 cans and 56 cans for recycling. They share them equally among 8 bins. Each bin gets
4. A baker makes 5 trays of 14 cookies. She decorates 32 cookies with frosting. The rest are plain. There are
5. A garden center has 96 plants. It sells 41 in the morning and gets a shipment of 25 more. It has
Multi-Step Word Problems
Hard
Multi-Step Word Problems
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A warehouse receives 6 crates of 25 water jugs. Workers ship out 84 jugs. How many jugs are still in the warehouse?
2. A school has 48 red balloons and 72 blue balloons. They tie them in bunches of 6. How many bunches do they make?
3. A camp kitchen makes 7 trays of 9 pancakes and already had 27 pancakes. How many pancakes are there in all?
4. A bike shop starts with 175 helmets. It sells 58 in June and 47 in July. How many helmets are left?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A school has 8 classes of 24 students. If 47 students are absent today,
2. A fruit stand has 130 apples. It sells 48 before noon and 36 after noon. There are
3. Three friends earn $35, $45, and $40 doing chores. They split the money equally and each gets $
4. A library has 6 shelves of 18 books. It lends out 53 books during the week. There are
5. A factory packs 9 boxes of 11 toys and adds 19 loose toys. The factory ships
Multi-Step Word Problems
What's Included in This Download
12 Printable Pages covering multi-step word problems
Complete Answer Key for easy grading
Printer-Friendly Format in black & white
Variety of Activities to keep kids engaged
Common Core Aligned grade 3 standards
Instant PDF Download - no signup required
What You'll Learn
These multi-step word problems worksheets help grade 3 students develop essential math skills through engaging activities.
Learning Objectives
- Two-Step Problems: Two operations
- Choose Operations: Select correct ops
- Estimation: Check reasonableness
- Write Equations: Translate to number sentences
- Real-World Contexts
Skills Covered
Multi-StepWord ProblemsFour OperationsEstimationProblem SolvingGrade 3 Math
How to Use These Worksheets
- Download & Print: Click the download button to get the PDF. Print on standard 8.5" x 11" paper.
- Start Simple: Begin with easier pages before moving to more challenging activities.
- Daily Practice: Dedicate 10-15 minutes each day for consistent learning.
- Use Manipulatives: Pair worksheets with physical objects like blocks or counters.
- Provide Encouragement: Celebrate progress and effort to build confidence.
- Check Progress: Use the included answer key to review work together.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Stopping after the first calculation — for example, finding the total number of items from multiplication but forgetting to subtract or add the second piece of information the problem requires.
- Choosing the wrong operation for one of the steps, such as adding when the problem calls for multiplication to find a total, or dividing when the answer should come from subtraction.
- Not re-reading the question after calculating intermediate answers — students sometimes forget what the problem actually asked and report an intermediate value rather than the final answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should third graders approach a multi-step word problem?
The best approach is to read the problem twice — once to understand the situation and once to identify exactly what question is being asked. Then list the steps needed: what do I find first, and what do I do with that result to get the final answer? Writing out each step separately helps students avoid skipping a calculation.
What operations are used in Grade 3 multi-step word problems?
Grade 3 multi-step problems combine addition, subtraction, and multiplication across two steps. A typical problem might ask students to first multiply to find a total (such as 4 packs × 6 items = 24) and then subtract a given amount. Division may appear in problems that involve splitting a total into equal groups.
How do you know which step to do first?
The order of steps is determined by the story, not by which numbers appear first in the problem. Read the problem like a sequence of events: what happens first in the story is usually Step 1. For example, if a baker makes cookies and then packs them, the making step comes first even if the packing number is mentioned first in the sentence.
Why do students sometimes get wrong answers even when they know the math facts?
Multi-step problems require both math skill and reading comprehension. Even students who know all their facts can get wrong answers by misreading what is being asked, skipping a step, or using the right operations in the wrong order. Checking that the final answer matches what the question actually asked is the most important self-correction habit.
How do multi-step problems in Grade 3 prepare students for later grades?
In Grade 4 and beyond, word problems involve larger numbers, fractions, and more complex real-world scenarios. Grade 3 multi-step problems build the habit of planning calculations in sequence, which directly transfers to those harder problems. Students who struggle with multi-step problems in Grade 3 often find fourth-grade word problems overwhelming without this foundation.
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Can I use these in my classroom?
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