Multi-Step Word Problems

Problems with more than one step

Some word problems can be solved with a single calculation. But many real problems need more than one step. You might have to add and then subtract, or multiply and then add. These are called multi-step word problems, and there is a simple plan that makes them easy.

If you would like extra practice with the multiplying and dividing kind, see Multiplication and Division Word Problems. This lesson teaches the plan that works for all word problems.

The four-step plan

Whenever you meet a tricky problem, follow these four steps:

1. Read the problem twice so you understand the story.
2. Plan the steps — what do you need to work out first?
3. Work them out one at a time.
4. Check that your answer makes sense.

Let's use this plan on some real problems.

Worked example 1 — sweets

Sam has 12 sweets. He buys 8 more, then gives 5 away. How many sweets does he have now?

• Read: Sam starts with some sweets, gets more, then loses some.
• Plan: First add the sweets he buys. Then subtract the ones he gives away.
• Work it out:
• Step 1: 12 + 8 = 20 sweets.
• Step 2: 20 − 5 = 15 sweets.
• Check: He ended with fewer than 20 because he gave some away. 15 makes sense. ✓

Sam has 15 sweets.

Worked example 2 — shopping money

You have £20. You buy a toy for £8 and a book for £5. How much money is left?

• Plan: First add what you spend. Then subtract from £20.
• Work it out:
• Step 1: £8 + £5 = £13 spent.
• Step 2: £20 − £13 = £7 left.
• Check: £7 is less than £20, which is right because you spent some. ✓

Clue words that help

Words in the problem give you hints about which operation to use. This table shows some common ones.

Clue words	Usually means
altogether, total, in all, sum	add (+)
left, fewer, take away, how many more	subtract (−)
groups of, each, times, lots of	multiply (×)
share, split equally, each gets	divide (÷)

Clue words are helpful, but always picture the story too. The story tells you what is really happening.

Worked example 3 — sharing then adding

3 friends share 18 stickers equally. Then each friend gets 2 more. How many stickers does each friend have?

• Plan: First divide to share. Then add the extra ones.
• Work it out:
• Step 1: 18 ÷ 3 = 6 stickers each.
• Step 2: 6 + 2 = 8 stickers each.
• Check: Each friend got a fair share and then a few more, so 8 is sensible. ✓

Worked example 4 — boxes of cakes

A box holds 6 cakes. Mum buys 4 boxes and then eats 3 cakes. How many cakes are left?

• Plan: First multiply to find all the cakes. Then subtract the ones eaten.
• Work it out:
• Step 1: 4 × 6 = 24 cakes.
• Step 2: 24 − 3 = 21 cakes.
• Check: 21 is just below 24, which is right. ✓

Practice activity

Use the four-step plan. Write down each step!

1. Lily has 15 marbles. She finds 6 more, then loses 4. How many does she have?
2. A packet has 5 biscuits. Dad buys 3 packets. How many biscuits in total?
3. You have £30. You buy shoes for £18 and socks for £4. How much is left?
4. 4 children share 20 grapes equally. Then each child eats 1. How many does each have left?
5. A bus has 12 people. At the first stop 7 get on and 3 get off. How many are on the bus now?

Answers: 1) 15 + 6 = 21, then 21 − 4 = 17 2) 3 × 5 = 15 3) £18 + £4 = £22, then £30 − £22 = £8 4) 20 ÷ 4 = 5, then 5 − 1 = 4 5) 12 + 7 = 19, then 19 − 3 = 16.

Why this matters

Multi-step problems are everywhere in real life. When you go shopping, plan a party, or share toys with friends, you often have to do more than one calculation to get the answer. The four-step plan — read, plan, work, check — turns a big scary problem into a few small, easy steps. The best mathematicians are not the fastest; they are the ones who slow down, plan carefully, and check their work. Now you can do that too!