Multiplying three numbers word problems

Students read a story where groups sit inside larger groups and multiply all the layers together.

• Three factors: 6 trays × 17 rows × 29 sandwiches
• Four factors: 10 buildings × 17 floors × 16 rooms × 2 doors
• Five factors with money: $500 a dish, 10 dishes, 50 guests, 3 meals, 20 days
• Write a sentence answer with its unit

Multistep word problems are standard 4.OA.A.3; the large products rely on 5.NBT.B.5.

Print page one and have your child copy the solution layout from page two: a short list of facts, then the steps.

• List each fact with its label, such as "rows in each tray: 17".
• Multiply two numbers at a time and carry the result to the next step.
• Finish with a sentence, for example "There are 5,440 doors."

The hotel story is wordy, so read it aloud and sketch one day before scaling up to 20 days.

• Stopping one layer early: 10 × 17 × 16 counts rooms, not doors; multiply by 2 as well.
• Adding a layer: 6 + 17 + 29 does not count sandwiches; each layer multiplies.
• Losing track of zeros with money: 750,000 × 20 is 15,000,000.

Next, estimate products by rounding, to check that answers this large make sense.