Worksheets · Pre-Algebra

Two-step equation word problems worksheet for Pre-Algebra

Most two-step stories have a fixed part and a part that repeats: a joining fee and a monthly charge, money already saved and money saved each week. The fixed part is the constant, the repeating part is the rate times x.

Also taught in Algebra 1, at its own level and with its own examples.

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Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Two-Step Equation Word Problems

Date Period

Solve each problem.

  1. Solve two-step word problems

    2 times a number, decreased by 9, is 41. What is the number?
  2. A plumber charges $40 to come out plus $80 an hour. The bill is $200. How many hours did the job take?
  3. A rectangle has a perimeter of 40 feet and a length of 16 feet. What is its width?
  4. A candle 16 cm tall burns down 1 cm an hour. After how many hours will it be 12 cm tall?
  5. A gym charges $90 to join and $20 a month. Diego has paid $310 in all. For how many months?
  6. Concert tickets cost $28 each, plus a $2 booking fee on the whole order. An order came to $282. How many tickets were bought?
  7. 9 times a number, increased by 13, is 94. What is the number?
  8. 9 times a number, increased by 17, is −37. What is the number?
  9. Ava has $45 and saves $50 a week. After how many weeks will Ava have $495?
  10. Diego has $85 and saves $25 a week. After how many weeks will Diego have $460?

  1. Write a two-step equation, then solve

    Lena has $81 in the bank and deposits $40 each week. Write an equation for when she has $401, then solve it.
  2. A phone plan costs $54 to set up plus $17 a month. Write an equation for a total of $190, then solve it.
  3. A taxi charges $3 to start the meter and $3 for each mile. A ride costs $51. Write an equation, then solve it for the miles.
  4. A tank holds 471 liters of water and drains 33 liters each hour. Write an equation for when it holds 75 liters, then solve it.
  5. A tank holds 231 liters of water and drains 19 liters each hour. Write an equation for when it holds 60 liters, then solve it.
  6. A phone plan costs $78 to set up plus $31 a month. Write an equation for a total of $388, then solve it.
  7. A taxi charges $3 to start the meter and $2 for each mile. A ride costs $43. Write an equation, then solve it for the miles.
  8. Lena has $140 in the bank and deposits $15 each week. Write an equation for when she has $365, then solve it.
  9. A taxi charges $6 to start the meter and $2 for each mile. A ride costs $34. Write an equation, then solve it for the miles.
  10. A phone plan costs $21 to set up plus $30 a month. Write an equation for a total of $351, then solve it.

Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Two-Step Equation Word ProblemsAnswer keyVersion 1

Date Period

Solve each problem.

  1. Solve two-step word problems

    2 times a number, decreased by 9, is 41. What is the number?25
  2. A plumber charges $40 to come out plus $80 an hour. The bill is $200. How many hours did the job take?2 hours
  3. A rectangle has a perimeter of 40 feet and a length of 16 feet. What is its width?4 feet
  4. A candle 16 cm tall burns down 1 cm an hour. After how many hours will it be 12 cm tall?4 hours
  5. A gym charges $90 to join and $20 a month. Diego has paid $310 in all. For how many months?11 months
  6. Concert tickets cost $28 each, plus a $2 booking fee on the whole order. An order came to $282. How many tickets were bought?10 tickets
  7. 9 times a number, increased by 13, is 94. What is the number?9
  8. 9 times a number, increased by 17, is −37. What is the number?−6
  9. Ava has $45 and saves $50 a week. After how many weeks will Ava have $495?9 weeks
  10. Diego has $85 and saves $25 a week. After how many weeks will Diego have $460?15 weeks

  1. Write a two-step equation, then solve

    Lena has $81 in the bank and deposits $40 each week. Write an equation for when she has $401, then solve it.81+40w=401, w=8 weeks
  2. A phone plan costs $54 to set up plus $17 a month. Write an equation for a total of $190, then solve it.54+17m=190, m=8 months
  3. A taxi charges $3 to start the meter and $3 for each mile. A ride costs $51. Write an equation, then solve it for the miles.3+3m=51, m=16 miles
  4. A tank holds 471 liters of water and drains 33 liters each hour. Write an equation for when it holds 75 liters, then solve it.471−33h=75, h=12 hours
  5. A tank holds 231 liters of water and drains 19 liters each hour. Write an equation for when it holds 60 liters, then solve it.231−19h=60, h=9 hours
  6. A phone plan costs $78 to set up plus $31 a month. Write an equation for a total of $388, then solve it.78+31m=388, m=10 months
  7. A taxi charges $3 to start the meter and $2 for each mile. A ride costs $43. Write an equation, then solve it for the miles.3+2m=43, m=20 miles
  8. Lena has $140 in the bank and deposits $15 each week. Write an equation for when she has $365, then solve it.140+15w=365, w=15 weeks
  9. A taxi charges $6 to start the meter and $2 for each mile. A ride costs $34. Write an equation, then solve it for the miles.6+2m=34, m=14 miles
  10. A phone plan costs $21 to set up plus $30 a month. Write an equation for a total of $351, then solve it.21+30m=351, m=11 months

Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

How to do these

$40 to join, $25 a month, $190 paid

  1. 40 + 25x = 190.
  2. Take 40 from both sides: 25x = 150.
  3. Divide by 25.

The answer is 6.

Where students go wrong

Dividing the whole total by the rate first. The joining fee is paid once, so it comes off before anything is divided.

Also called two step equation word problems, two-step word problems or writing two-step equations.

What you can put on this worksheet

Two-step word problems
A plumber charges $70 to come out plus $100 an hour. The bill is $170. How many hours did the job take? → 1 hour
Write the equation, then solve
Kai has $25 and saves $12 each week. Write an equation for when he has $49, then solve it. → 25+12w=49, w=2 weeks
Halving, sharing, and a grouped total
A club baked some pies, and 2 more were donated. Every pie was cut into 8 slices, 112 slices in all. How many pies did the club bake? → 12

Questions about these worksheets

Yes. Every two-step equation word problems sheet is free to print and free to download as a PDF. There is no account to make, no email to hand over and no limit on how many you take.

Yes. The answer key prints on a second page, and you can choose whether it shows each question beside its answer or just the answers in a list.

Yes. Print straight from the page, or download the PDF and print that. The sheet is laid out for paper rather than squeezed off a screen, so there is room to work under each question, and the answer key comes out on its own page.

Pre-Algebra is usually taken around 7th or 8th grade, though schools vary and plenty of students meet it earlier or later. Pick the difficulty rather than the grade: the easy level suits a first lesson on it, the hard level suits review before a test.

Yes, as many as you like. The questions are built fresh each time rather than picked from a fixed set of files, so pressing Generate gives a new sheet. That is what you want for a second class, a retake, or two students sitting next to each other.

That is the closest comparison, and Kuta Software is good software. It is also paid software you install on a computer. These worksheets run in a browser tab for free, with no account and nothing to install. Like Kuta, the two-step equation word problems questions are generated when you ask for them rather than pulled from a fixed set of files, so two classes never get the same sheet, and the answer key comes with it.

Yes. There are three levels, and you can tick more than one for a sheet that mixes them, in which case the questions come out easiest first. The harder levels are not just larger numbers: they ask for something the easy ones do not.

You pick from 3: two-step word problems, write the equation, then solve and halving, sharing, and a grouped total. Tick as many as you want and set how many of each, or let it spread them evenly.

Dividing the whole total by the rate first. The joining fee is paid once, so it comes off before anything is divided.