A circular knitting machine for hosiery and the like with multiple drops or feeds comprising a needle cylinder and a needle actuation cam apron (1) which faces the lateral surface of said needle cylinder. Upstream of at least one feed or drop (60) of the machine along the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder with respect to the cam apron (1) there are: a first cam (21), which can be engaged by a heel (16) of the sub-needles (13) and is adapted to raise the needles (12) to the tuck-stitch position, and a second cam (22), which is located downstream of the first cam (21) and can be engaged by the heel (16) of the sub-needles (13) in order to lift the needles (12) to the drop-stitch position. A first auxiliary cam (23) is arranged above the first cam (21), can be actuated on command and can engage a heel (18) of the sub-needles (13) that engage the first cam (21) for the further lifting of the corresponding needles (12) to the drop-stitch position. A first selection device is provided upstream of the first cam (21) and acts on the sub-needles (13) for their engagement or nonengagement with the first cam (21); a second selection device is arranged between the first cam (21) and the second cam (22) and acts on the sub-needles (13) for their engagement or nonengagement with the second cam (22).