3D Shapes Vocabulary Worksheet

Press Print worksheet to match twelve solids, from cube and cone to triangular prism, to their meanings.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.3D shapes vocabularycuberectangular prismprismpyramidcylinderconespherehemispheretriangular prismsquare pyramidpolyhedronPlatonic solida solid that tapers from a flatcircle up to a tipa solid with two triangle ends andthree rectangle sidesa solid with a four-sided bottomand four triangle sidesthe solid on which every point isequally far from a centerhalf of a ball, cut through thecenterone of the five solids whose facesall match exactlya box-like solid that is equallylong, wide and talla solid that rises from a polygonto a single peaka box-shaped solid with sixrectangular facesa solid with no curved part: eachface is a polygona tube-like solid capped by twosame-size circlesa many-sided solid capped by twoidentical polygons
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.3D shapes vocabularyAnswer keycuberectangular prismprismpyramidcylinderconespherehemispheretriangular prismsquare pyramidpolyhedronPlatonic solida solid that tapers from a flatcircle up to a tipa solid with two triangle ends andthree rectangle sidesa solid with a four-sided bottomand four triangle sidesthe solid on which every point isequally far from a centerhalf of a ball, cut through thecenterone of the five solids whose facesall match exactlya box-like solid that is equallylong, wide and talla solid that rises from a polygonto a single peaka box-shaped solid with sixrectangular facesa solid with no curved part: eachface is a polygona tube-like solid capped by twosame-size circlesa many-sided solid capped by twoidentical polygons
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All 36 terms

Solids 12

  • cone A solid that tapers from a flat circle up to a tip. A cone has one flat circular face.
  • cube A box-like solid that is equally long, wide and tall. A cube has 8 vertices and 12 edges.
  • cylinder A tube-like solid capped by two same-size circles. A soup can has the shape of a cylinder.
  • hemisphere Half of a ball, cut through the center. A hemisphere has one flat circular face.
  • Platonic solid One of the five solids whose faces all match exactly. The cube is one of the five Platonic solids.
  • polyhedron A solid with no curved part: each face is a polygon. A cube is a polyhedron; a sphere is not.
  • prism A many-sided solid capped by two identical polygons. A prism with five-sided ends is a pentagonal prism.
  • pyramid A solid that rises from a polygon to a single peak. A pyramid on a triangle is a triangular pyramid.
  • rectangular prism A box-shaped solid with six rectangular faces. A brick has the shape of a rectangular prism.
  • sphere The solid on which every point is equally far from a center. A basketball has the shape of a sphere.
  • square pyramid A solid with a four-sided bottom and four triangle sides. Such a solid has 5 faces, 5 vertices and 8 edges.
  • triangular prism A solid with two triangle ends and three rectangle sides. A triangular prism has 5 faces, 6 vertices and 9 edges.
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

Faces, edges and vertices 12

  • base The face that a solid is named for or stands on. The base of a cone is a circle.
  • dihedral angle The opening between two faces that meet along an edge. In a cube the dihedral angle between two faces that meet is 90°.
  • edge The segment along which two faces of a solid join. A cube has 12 edges.
  • face One of the flat sides that bound a solid. There are 6 faces on a cube.
  • lateral surface All the sides of a solid, without its ends. The lateral surface of a can is the part the label covers.
  • net An unfolded solid: its faces laid out as one flat piece. One net of a cube is six squares in the shape of a cross.
  • regular polyhedron A solid whose faces are identical regular polygons. A cube is a regular polyhedron with square faces.
  • slant height The distance up the side of a cone, from rim to tip. The slant height of a cone is longer than its height.
  • surface The outside boundary of a solid. The surface of a ball is curved.
  • three-dimensional Taking up space, not lying flat in a plane. A brick is three-dimensional; its shadow is not.
  • two-dimensional Lying flat in a plane, with no thickness. A drawing of a square is two-dimensional.
  • vertex A corner of a solid, at the tip of several edges. A cube has 8 vertices.

Volume and measures 12

  • capacity The greatest amount a vessel can contain. The capacity of a jug may be given in liters.
  • Cavalieri's principle Equal slices at every height give equal volumes. The rule is named after the mathematician Bonaventura Cavalieri.
  • cross section The face laid bare when a solid is cut straight across. A cross section of a sphere is a circle.
  • cubic centimeter The space inside a cube one centimeter on each edge. 1,000 cubic centimeters make one liter.
  • cubic inch The space inside a cube one inch long on each edge. A box 2 by 3 by 4 inches holds 24 cubic inches.
  • depth The measure of a solid from its front face to its rear. A shelf may be 30 inches wide and 12 inches in depth.
  • displacement The amount of liquid pushed aside by a sunken object. A stone dropped into a full glass spills water equal to its own volume.
  • lateral area The area of the sides of a solid, leaving out its ends. A cube with edges of 2 has a lateral area of 4 × 4 = 16.
  • liter A metric unit of capacity, equal to a cubic decimeter. A liter is the space in a cube 10 centimeters on each edge.
  • solid of revolution A solid swept out by spinning a flat shape about a line. Spinning a rectangle about one side sweeps out a cylinder.
  • surface area The sum of the areas of every face and curved side. A cube with edges of 2 has a surface area of 6 × 4 = 24.
  • volume How much room a solid fills. A box 2 by 3 by 4 inches has a volume of 24 cubic inches.

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-03. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and, for the terms with no entry or no fitting sense there (rectangular prism), against the articles Rectangular cuboid in English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The terms were chosen with the articles Solid geometry, Polyhedron, Net (polyhedron), Volume, Prism (geometry), Cross section (geometry), Solid of revolution and Cavalieri's principle of English Wikipedia open, read the same day. The counts and measures in the examples are our own working. The example after each meaning is our own. Every meaning was read against its source again on 2026-10-05. Licence: own work

How it works

This 3D shapes vocabulary worksheet prints twelve terms down the left and their meanings, mixed up, down the right. Three sets cover the solids, their faces, edges and vertices, and volume and measures.

Read the full guide

Three sets

Set opens on Solids: cube, rectangular prism, prism, pyramid, cylinder, cone, sphere, hemisphere, triangular prism, square pyramid, polyhedron and Platonic solid. Faces, edges and vertices adds base, net, surface, lateral surface, slant height and dihedral angle.

Volume and measures

The third set prints volume, surface area, lateral area, cross section, capacity, cubic inch, cubic centimeter, liter, depth, displacement and solid of revolution. Under the tool each term has an example, such as: A cube has 8 vertices and 12 edges.

  • No solid is drawn on the sheet: it prints the names and their meanings.

Questions and answers

What are the names of the 3D shapes?

The common ones are cube, rectangular prism, triangular prism, pyramid, cylinder, cone and sphere. A solid whose faces are all flat polygons is a polyhedron; cylinders, cones and spheres have curved surfaces and are not polyhedra.

What is the difference between faces, edges and vertices?

A face is a flat side of a solid, an edge is the segment where two faces join, and a vertex is a corner where edges meet. A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices.

What is the difference between volume and surface area?

Volume is how much room a solid fills, counted in cubic units. Surface area is the total area of its outside, counted in square units. A cube with edges of 2 has a volume of 8 and a surface area of 24.

Is the answer key on the same printout?

Yes. It follows the worksheet as its own page and shows a line from every term to its meaning. More options has the check box that leaves it out.

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