3rd grade two-step word problems

A free printable sheet of 8 Grade 3 two-step word problems, with a hint for a grown-up under each one and an answer key worked out by Kizupi’s math engine. Press New sheet for another.

By The Kizupi team · Updated November 4, 2026

Grade 3 two-step word problems

Name: ____________________

An elevator goes up 6 floors, then down 4 floors, then up 3 floors. Now it is on floor 9. On which floor did it start?
Hint for a grown-up: What did the elevator do last? How do we undo going up?
A shop had 93 pencils. It sold 22 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon. How many pencils are left?
Hint for a grown-up: Two amounts were sold. Can you find the total sold first?
The ages of Leo and an older cousin add up to 28. The cousin is 6 years older than Leo. How old is the cousin?
Hint for a grown-up: If the cousin did not have the extra 6 years, how would the two ages compare?
Ben and Jade have 27 marbles together. Jade has 2 times as many as Ben. How many marbles does Ben have?
Hint for a grown-up: If Ben has one box of marbles, how many boxes does Jade have?
Max has 34 pencils. Some are red and the rest are blue. There are 6 more red pencils than blue ones. How many red pencils are there?
Hint for a grown-up: If we took away the 6 extra red pencils, what would be true about the two colors?
The fair sold 442 raffle tickets on Saturday and 207 on Sunday. Round each number to the nearest ten. About how many more tickets were sold on Saturday?
Hint for a grown-up: What is 442 rounded to the nearest ten? What about 207?
A red ribbon is 9 cm long. A blue ribbon is 5 times as long. How much longer is the blue ribbon than the red one?
Hint for a grown-up: Are we looking for the blue ribbon, or the difference?
Omar is 6 years old, and Omar’s mom is 38. How old will Mom be when Omar is 9?
Hint for a grown-up: How many years go by until Omar is 9?

From kizupi.com/tools · Grade 3, sheet 2074

What these two-step problems cover

Each sheet draws 8 problems from 11 Grade 3 two-step word problems in Kizupi’s published lessons, a different skill for each where it can. Only problems that work on paper are used.

Two-step problems · Bar models · Sum and difference · Age problems · Working backward · Estimating sums and differences

Where this fits in 3rd grade

The Common Core math standards say Grade 3 time should go to these areas [1]:

Multiplication and division within 100
Fractions, especially unit fractions like 1/4
Arrays and area
Describing and analyzing flat shapes

For a sheet that mixes every Grade 3 skill, use the 3rd grade math word problems page.

Questions parents ask

What two-step word problems do 3rd graders do?

The sheets here draw from 6 Grade 3 skills: Two-step problems, Bar models, Sum and difference, Age problems, Working backward, Estimating sums and differences.

Is the worksheet free?

Yes. No account and no email. Press New sheet for another set of the same topic, and print as many as you like.

Are the answers right?

Every answer is computed with exact arithmetic by the same engine that checks children’s answers in Kizupi, not typed in by hand.

What if two-step word problems are too hard?

Read the problem aloud together and ask what the story is about before any numbers. Use the hint under each problem. If it is still hard, try the mixed Grade 2 sheet first.

Sources

Common Core State Standards Initiative, Grade 3 introduction. Read October 27, 2026.

Want a tutor that asks “how do you know?” every day? Kizupi’s pixel owl reads each problem aloud, hints one small step at a time and never hands over the answer. Grades 1–6.

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