View largerWhat is a Limerick?
Knowing the limerick form: five lines, an AABBA rhyme scheme, a bouncy three- and two-beat rhythm, and a funny twist
1 page40 KB
Limerick Worksheets
Learn the funny five-line limerick: AABBA rhyme, a bouncy beat, original examples, and write your own.
Download the limericks worksheets
What is a limerick?
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Limericks with questions
3 pagesView all 3 pagesFive silly limericks
Finding the AABBA rhyme scheme, the beat, figurative language, and the funny twist in five limericks
Answer key on page 3
3 pages76 KB
View all 2 pagesThe flapjack who flew
Explaining how three linked limericks fit together to tell one story
Answer key on page 2
2 pages168 KB
Rhyme scheme practice
View all 2 pagesLabel the rhyme scheme
Labeling the AABBA rhyme scheme of limericks by matching rhyming line endings
Answer key on page 2
2 pages42 KB
View all 2 pagesFind the rhyming words
Hearing the rhymes in limericks written without line breaks, and telling true rhymes from near rhymes
Answer key on page 2
2 pages57 KB
View all 2 pagesFinish the limerick
Choosing and writing a last line for a limerick that keeps the AABBA rhyme and the three-beat rhythm
Answer key on page 2
2 pages49 KB
Write your own limerick
View largerWrite your own limerick
Planning a limerick (a character, two rhyme families, and a funny twist), then writing it in five lines
1 page30 KB
View largerLimerick rhyme bank
Writing two limericks using rhyme families from a rhyme bank
1 page32 KB
Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.
About these limericks worksheets
A limerick is a short, funny poem with five lines. Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with each other, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other, so the rhyme scheme is AABBA. Lines 1, 2, and 5 are long, with three strong beats. Lines 3 and 4 are short, with two strong beats. The rhythm bounces: da-da-DUM, da-da-DUM, as in "a GOAT who was FOND of guiTARS." The last line brings a surprise or a joke.
Here is an original example: "A goat who was fond of guitars / would strum on the roofs of parked cars. / He played until three, / then sang to a tree, / and now he gives concerts on Mars." Guitars, cars, and Mars are the A rhymes; three and tree are the B rhymes.
These limerick worksheets are written for 5th graders. A chart explains the form. Children label rhyme schemes with A and B, find the rhymes in limericks written without line breaks, tell true rhymes from near rhymes, and choose the last line that rhymes and keeps the beat. Two reading pages, five silly limericks and a three-part limerick story, come with questions and answer keys. Every limerick is original.
Planning pages help children pick a character, build A and B rhyme lists, and save the joke for the last line.
Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.DUse concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.10Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
How to use them
- Read the What Is a Limerick? chart aloud, and clap the beats in the example.
- Practice the AABBA pattern with Label the Rhyme Scheme and Find the Rhyming Words.
- Read the limericks with questions, and choose last lines on Finish the Limerick.
- Plan and write your own limerick with the planner and the rhyme bank.
Teaching tips
- End line 1 with a word that has lots of rhymes, like day, cat, or bee. You need three A rhymes.
- Use true rhymes, which match both the vowel sound and the ending sound (moon and noon, not moon and mood).
- Read each line aloud and clap. Long lines get three claps; short lines get two.
- Save the funniest idea for line 5.
Questions teachers and parents ask
What is the rhyme scheme of a limerick?
AABBA. Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with each other, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other.
What is the rhythm of a limerick?
Limericks have a bouncy beat, often da-da-DUM. Lines 1, 2, and 5 have three strong beats, and lines 3 and 4 have two.
What makes a limerick funny?
Limericks tell a silly story in a few lines and usually end with a surprise, a twist, or a joke in the last line.
What is the difference between a true rhyme and a near rhyme?
A true rhyme matches the vowel sound and the ending sound, like cake and bake. A near rhyme only comes close, like bake and bait.
Are the limericks original?
Yes. Every limerick on these worksheets was written for this site.