5th grade volume word problems worksheets

Grade 5 volume word problems are rectangular prisms in real packaging: aquariums, lunchboxes, storage bins, per 5.MD.C.5. Half the problems list the three dimensions in the story; the other half print a labeled diagram of the prism and the student reads the dimensions off it.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 5.MD.C.5.

A new sheet every click.

Tap to see another sample sheet. The picture follows the difficulty you pick.

The kind of problems you'll get

Solve each problem. Show your work and include units.

  1. A wooden block is a rectangular prism 5 centimeters long, 5 centimeters wide, and 2 centimeters high. Find its volume in cubic centimeters.

    Answer: 50 cm.cubed

  2. A foam block is a rectangular prism 5 centimeters long, 5 centimeters wide, and 5 centimeters high. Find its volume in cubic centimeters.

    Answer: 125 cm.cubed

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key after the problems.

How to teach this

Build the layer picture before the formula: the bottom layer is a grid of cubes, length times width of them, and the height counts layers. Kids who see layers never ask which two numbers to multiply first, because any order works and they know why. On diagram problems, have your child label each dimension with its name before computing.

Watch for: Kids add the three measurements instead of multiplying, so a 12 by 6 by 5 tank comes back as 23. Volume counts cubes filling the space, and each layer multiplies. Kids stop after length times width, reporting the base area as the volume. The height tells how many of those layers stack up; without it you've measured a floor, not a box. Kids write the answer in plain units or square units. Volume is measured in cubic units, cu cm or cu in, because it counts little cubes.

Common questions about volume word problems

Do the problems include a picture of the box?
About half do. Those print a labeled prism diagram, and the student reads the length, width, and height off the drawing, which is how volume questions appear on state tests. The rest give the dimensions in the story.
What units do the answers use?
Cubic centimeters, cubic inches, or cubic feet, written as cu cm, cu in, or cu ft. The answer key carries the unit with every answer, so writing the unit becomes part of the habit.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Need a fresh set of problems? Print another copy. The difficulty you picked above stays.

Aligned to Common Core 5.MD.C.5. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated September 2026.

Spot a mistake on this sheet? Tell us. · About these worksheets