Two-step subtraction problems: Word Problems
Grade 2 · Subtraction within 100 · CCSS.Math.2.NBT
- Mia had 57 stickers. She used 28, then lost 9. How many left? ___
- Mia had 40 stickers. She used 22, then lost 14. How many left? ___
- Mia had 62 stickers. She used 15, then lost 14. How many left? ___
- Mia had 89 stickers. She used 10, then lost 5. How many left? ___
- Mia had 82 stickers. She used 14, then lost 17. How many left? ___
- Mia had 59 stickers. She used 16, then lost 6. How many left? ___
This is the preview. Hit "Print this worksheet" above to open a clean, ad-free, one-page version with name and date lines and writing space for each problem. A separate answer key prints on the second page for the grown-up. Tear it off before handing the practice page to your child.
This printable worksheet gives Grade 2 students focused practice on Two-step subtraction problems, an essential building block within Subtraction within 100 and one of the milestone skills inside the Common Core CCSS.Math.2.NBT cluster.
Because the worksheet is designed for independent practice, the directions are written in friendly student language and avoid teacher-only jargon. By the end of the page, learners should be able to explain their strategy in a sentence, not just write an answer.
Strong students can race the clock and aim for a personal best. Students who need more support can work in pairs and explain their thinking out loud, which is one of the highest-leverage moves in elementary math because it forces students to put fuzzy thinking into clear words.
Want a different angle on this skill? Try the matching variants in our Grade 2 · Subtraction within 100 collection, or jump up to the cross-grade Subtraction within 100 hub.
We deliberately keep the layout uncluttered: a clean header, generous spacing for kids to show their work, and a problem grid that does not feel overwhelming. Elementary students get tunnel vision on busy pages, and that visual anxiety is often mistaken for a math gap.
This worksheet is aligned to Common Core State Standard CCSS.Math.2.NBT and supports the broader Subtraction within 100 progression that students continue to build through later grades. The same skill is revisited each year with greater abstraction, so the work your student does on this single sheet feeds into the multi-digit and multi-step problems they will see in middle school.
If your student finishes this Two-step subtraction problems page quickly and easily, take a look at the next printable in the Subtraction within 100 series. The difficulty climbs gradually so kids meet a stretch problem without getting overwhelmed.
Sample problems on this worksheet
- Mia had 57 stickers. She used 28, then lost 9. How many left? ___
- Mia had 40 stickers. She used 22, then lost 14. How many left? ___
- Mia had 62 stickers. She used 15, then lost 14. How many left? ___
- Mia had 89 stickers. She used 10, then lost 5. How many left? ___
- Mia had 82 stickers. She used 14, then lost 17. How many left? ___
- Mia had 59 stickers. She used 16, then lost 6. How many left? ___
How to use this worksheet
Print one copy per child on standard letter or A4 paper. Set a quiet 10 to 15 minute window. Hand your student a sharpened pencil and an eraser, and let them work top to bottom. The first row is a warm-up on purpose. The last row is a stretch on purpose. Sit with them as they finish so any misconceptions surface right away instead of getting practiced into a bad habit.
If your student finishes quickly, flip the page over and ask them to write two new problems of their own that target the same skill. It's a powerful retention move. If they get stuck, pull out manipulatives that match the skill (counters for early addition, base-ten blocks for place value, fraction tiles for fractions) and work through one or two problems together before letting them try the rest on their own.
Common Core alignment
This page targets CCSS.Math.2.NBT inside the broader Subtraction within 100 progression. The skill is introduced earlier in elementary school through concrete representations and revisited each year with greater abstraction. To see how it develops across grade levels, visit our Subtraction within 100 hub. To see the rest of the Grade 2 work in this strand, visit the Grade 2 · Subtraction within 100 collection.