Which operations show up?

All four, in any combination across the two steps. One story multiplies then adds, another adds then divides. Five stories per page. Because the operations are not announced, the reading is as much of the task as the arithmetic.

How is this different from the mixed operations sheet on the parent page?

The parent sheet is one step per story with the operation hidden. This one chains two steps, so the answer to the first becomes an input to the second. A child who is solid on the parent sheet but stalls here usually needs practice tracking the intermediate number, not more facts.

Are there easier and harder versions?

Yes, easier, default, and more difficult prints are offered. Each print is a fresh set of five stories, which helps when a second attempt should not repeat the first, or when two children at the table need the same sheet without the same answers.

3rd grade two-step word problems

3rd grade two-step word problems worksheets

Two-step word problems worksheets for 3rd grade put five stories on a page and let any operation into either step: 11 bags of 3 supplies, plus 4 more donated. Your child decides what each number stands for, works the first step, and carries the result into the second. Multiplication and division join addition and subtraction here.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 3.OA.D.8.

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The kind of problems you'll get

Read each story. Show how you find the missing quantity.

Hana prepared 11 welcome bags with 3 supplies in each bag. Neighbors donated 4 more supplies. How many supplies are ready altogether?
Answer: 37
Aaliyah gathered 13 oak seeds and 3 maple seeds for a restoration project. The seeds were shared equally among 8 plots. How many seeds were planted in each plot?
Answer: 2
A conservation group divided 44 seedlings equally among 4 restoration plots. Later, 4 additional seedlings were planted in one plot. How many seedlings were in that plot?
Answer: 15

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Two-step word problems. Read each story. Show how you find the missing quantity. 5 problems per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key after the problems.

This sheet is one of the versions on the 3rd grade mixed operations word problems page, with its own difficulty choices and its own answer key.

How to teach this

Five stories, and any of the four operations can show up in either step. Before solving, have your child label each number with what it counts: 11 bags, 3 supplies in each bag, 4 loose supplies. Once the labels are there, the operation nearly picks itself. Groups of equal size multiply, sharing equally divides, and the leftover 4 just adds on. Work step one, write the result with its label, then read the story again from that point. The trap here is combining the wrong pair, like adding the 4 to the 3 before multiplying. The 44 seedlings story is a good one to talk through: divide first, then add 4 to one plot only. For a check, ask your child to tell the story back with their answer in it. 3.OA.D.8 asks for exactly this: two steps, all four operations, and an answer that makes sense.

Watch for: Kids work both changes on the starting number, so 44 beads plus 8 and 44 minus 6 both appear and neither is the answer. The first result has to feed the second step. Boxing it and drawing an arrow helps. Kids stop after the first step because it produced a number. Ask whether the question has been answered yet, and have them underline the question before they start so the stopping point is clear.

Common questions about two-step word problems

Which operations show up?: All four, in any combination across the two steps. One story multiplies then adds, another adds then divides. Five stories per page. Because the operations are not announced, the reading is as much of the task as the arithmetic.
How is this different from the mixed operations sheet on the parent page?: The parent sheet is one step per story with the operation hidden. This one chains two steps, so the answer to the first becomes an input to the second. A child who is solid on the parent sheet but stalls here usually needs practice tracking the intermediate number, not more facts.
Are there easier and harder versions?: Yes, easier, default, and more difficult prints are offered. Each print is a fresh set of five stories, which helps when a second attempt should not repeat the first, or when two children at the table need the same sheet without the same answers.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core 3.OA.D.8. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated September 2026.

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