Multi-step math word problems for grades 5 and 6
Practice 5th and 6th grade math word problems that have more than one step. Includes answer key at the end.
Problem 1:
A Trip to the Store
Emily went to the store to buy supplies for her school's art project. She bought 4 packs of colored paper at $3 each, 5 packs of markers at $2 each, and 3 bottles of glue at $1 each. If she gave the cashier a $50 bill, how much change did she receive?
Problem 2:
Classroom Party
Ms. Johnson is organizing a classroom party. She buys 6 large pizzas, each cut into 8 slices. There are 24 students in her class. If each student gets the same number of slices, how many slices does each student get, and how many slices are left over?
Problem 3:
Book Fair
At a book fair, Jack bought 3 books. The first book cost $5, the second book cost twice as much as the first book, and the third book cost $3 less than the second book. How much did Jack spend in total?
Problem 4:
Baking Cookies
Sarah baked 5 batches of cookies, each batch with 12 cookies. She gave 1/3 of the cookies to her friends and kept the rest for her family. How many cookies did Sarah keep for her family?
Problem 5:
Gardening Project
Tom is planting flowers in his garden. He has 48 flowers and wants to plant them in 6 equal rows. Each row will be a different color. How many flowers will be in each row, and how many flowers of each color will he have?
Problem 6:
School Field Trip
A school bus can hold 45 students. There are 4 classes going on a field trip, each with 22 students. How many buses are needed to transport all the students?
Problem 7:
Saving Money
Liam wants to buy a new bicycle that costs $120. He saves $10 each week. After 5 weeks, his grandparents give him an additional $25. How many more weeks does Liam need to save to buy the bicycle?
Problem 8:
Sports Equipment
A sports store sells basketballs for $15 each and soccer balls for $12 each. If Michael buys 3 basketballs and 4 soccer balls, how much does he spend in total?
Problem 9:
Building a Fence
Rachel is building a fence around her rectangular garden. The garden is 10 meters long and 7 meters wide. How many meters of fencing does she need to buy if she also needs to cover an extra 5 meters for the gate?
Problem 10:
Classroom Supplies
A teacher bought 3 sets of pencils. Each set contains 12 pencils. She then bought 5 sets of notebooks, each set containing 4 notebooks. If she gave 2 pencils and 1 notebook to each student in her class, and she has 18 students, how many pencils and notebooks does she have left?
Answer Key
Answer 1:
Cost of colored paper: 4 packs * $3 = $12
Cost of markers: 5 packs * $2 = $10
Cost of glue: 3 bottles * $1 = $3
Total cost: $12 + $10 + $3 = $25
Change: $50 - $25 = $25
Answer 2:
Total slices of pizza: 6 pizzas * 8 slices = 48 slices
Slices per student: 48 slices / 24 students = 2 slices
Slices left over: 48 slices - (24 students * 2 slices) = 0 slices
Answer 3:
Cost of the first book: $5
Cost of the second book: $5 * 2 = $10
Cost of the third book: $10 - $3 = $7
Total cost: $5 + $10 + $7 = $22
Answer 4:
Total cookies: 5 batches * 12 cookies = 60 cookies
Cookies given to friends: 1/3 of 60 = 20 cookies
Cookies kept for family: 60 - 20 = 40 cookies
Answer 5:
Flowers per row: 48 flowers / 6 rows = 8 flowers
Flowers of each color: 8 flowers
Answer 6:
Total students: 4 classes * 22 students = 88 students
Number of buses needed: 88 students / 45 students per bus = 1.96 buses, so 2 buses are needed
Answer 7:
Total savings after 5 weeks: 5 weeks * $10 = $50
Total money after grandparents' gift: $50 + $25 = $75
Remaining amount needed: $120 - $75 = $45
Additional weeks needed: $45 / $10 per week = 4.5 weeks, so 5 more weeks are needed
Answer 8:
Cost of basketballs: 3 basketballs * $15 = $45
Cost of soccer balls: 4 soccer balls * $12 = $48
Total cost: $45 + $48 = $93
Answer 9:
Perimeter of the garden: 2 * (10 meters + 7 meters) = 34 meters
Total fencing needed: 34 meters + 5 meters = 39 meters
Answer 10:
Total pencils: 3 sets * 12 pencils = 36 pencils
Total notebooks: 5 sets * 4 notebooks = 20 notebooks
Pencils given to students: 18 students * 2 pencils = 36 pencils
Notebooks given to students: 18 students * 1 notebook = 18 notebooks
Pencils left: 36 pencils - 36 pencils = 0 pencils
Notebooks left: 20 notebooks - 18 notebooks = 2 notebooks
