Rebus: Just for Fun - ESL worksheet by vicmon - Free Printable

Let’s solve this rebus puzzle step by step. A rebus uses pictures and symbols to represent words or parts of words. We’ll go line by line, replacing each picture with the word it stands for, then putting it all together into a story.

---

Line 1:
> 🌞 + day morning → “Sun” + “day” = Sunday
> 👁️ had a → “I” (eye sounds like “I”)
So: “One Sunday morning, Mr. Jones said to his wife, ‘I had a...”

Wait — there’s a “1” before the sun. So it’s “1 + sun + day” → “One Sunday”

✔ First part: “One Sunday morning, Mr. Jones said to his wife, ‘I had a...”

---

Line 2:
> 1 + derful dream last → “1” + “derful” = “Wonderful” (since “won” sounds like “one”)
> Then a knight helmet → “knight” → but in context, it’s probably “night” (homophone)
So: “wonderful dream last night.”

✔ Full sentence so far:
“One Sunday morning, Mr. Jones said to his wife, ‘I had a wonderful dream last night.’”

---

Line 3:
> 👁️ dreamed that 👁️ was an acro + 🦇 in a 🚗 + nival.
→ “I dreamed that I was an acrobat in a carnival.”
(“acro” + “bat” = acrobat; “car” + “nival” = carnival)

✔ Next sentence:
“I dreamed that I was an acrobat in a carnival.”

---

Line 4:
> I had a little mon + 🔑 who was wear + 💍 a p + 🖋️ + 🔔 + t.
→ “mon” + “key” = monkey
→ “wear” + “ring” = wearing
→ “p” + “en” + “bell” + “t” = pen + bell + t? Wait — let’s break it down:

Actually:
“a little monkey who was wearing a pet bell” — because:
- “p” + “en” = pen? No — look again:
It says: “a p + [ink bottle] + [bell] + t” → “p” + “ink” + “bell” + “t” → “pink bell”? That doesn’t fit.

Wait — maybe it’s “pet bell”? Let’s see:
The ink bottle might be “ink”, but perhaps it’s meant to be “pet” — no.

Alternative: Maybe “p” + “en” = “pen”, but then “bell” + “t” = “belt”? Not quite.

Hold on — let’s read the whole phrase:
“who was wear + ring a p + ink + bell + t” → “wearing a pink belt”? But that doesn’t make sense with “monkey”.

Wait — perhaps it’s “wearing a pet bell” — meaning a bell on a pet collar.

But how do we get “pet”? The image is an ink bottle — which could be “ink”, but maybe it’s a trick.

Another idea: “p” + “en” = “pen”, but then “bell” + “t” = “belt” — still not right.

Let’s skip ahead and come back.

Actually — looking at common rebuses:
Sometimes “ink” can stand for “in k” — but that’s messy.

Wait — perhaps it’s “a little monkey who was wearing a pink bell” — but why pink?

Alternatively — maybe “p” + “ink” = “pink”, and “bell” + “t” = “belt” — so “pink belt”? Still odd.

But let’s check the next part.

---

Line 5:
> People were ⌚ + ing us as we ★ + ted to light some 🥫 + dles”.
→ “watching” (watch + ing)
→ “started” (star + ted)
→ “candles” (can + dles)

So: “People were watching us as we started to light some candles.”

That makes sense!

Now back to Line 4 — if people are lighting candles, maybe the monkey is wearing something related.

Perhaps “p” + “ink” + “bell” + “t” = “pink bell” — but that’s weak.

Wait — another thought: “ink” might be “in k” — no.

Or maybe the ink bottle is meant to be “pen” — since pens use ink.

So: “a p + en + bell + t” → “a pen bell t”? No.

What if it’s “a pet bell” — and the “p” is for “pet”, and the ink bottle is just decorative? Unlikely.

Let’s try phonetics:
“p” + “ink” = “pink”
“bell” + “t” = “belt” — so “pink belt”

But monkeys don’t usually wear belts.

Unless... it’s a circus monkey? In a carnival? Maybe.

But let’s assume it’s “a little monkey who was wearing a pink bell” — perhaps a bell around its neck.

Actually, “bell” alone could work — “wearing a bell”.

And “p” + “ink” might be a red herring — or maybe it’s “a little monkey who was wearing a [something] bell”.

Wait — the text says: “wear + ring a p + [ink] + [bell] + t”

Perhaps it’s “wearing a pet bell” — and “p” + “et” = “pet”, but where does “et” come from?

This is tricky.

Alternative approach: Maybe “ink” is “in k” — no.

Let’s look online or think of standard rebuses.

Actually, I recall that sometimes “ink” is used for “in k” — but not helpful.

Another idea: “p” + “en” = “pen”, and “bell” + “t” = “belt” — so “pen belt” — nonsense.

Perhaps it’s “a little monkey who was wearing a pink bell” — and we accept that.

But let’s move on and see if the rest helps.

---

Line 6:
> “What did U do then?” asked Mrs. Jones.
→ “U” = “you”

✔ “What did you do then?” asked Mrs. Jones.

---

Line 7:
> “👁️ don’t know. 👁️ 🥫 + t remember”, Mr. Jones said.
→ “I don’t know. I can’t remember”
(can + t = can’t)

✔ “I don’t know. I can’t remember,” Mr. Jones said.

---

Line 8:
> “But now 👁️ feel very 🛞 + d”.
→ “I feel very tired” (tire + d = tired)

✔ “But now I feel very tired.”

---

Line 9:
> “👁️ know Y”, said Mrs. Jones. “U didn’t sleep well 🐝 + cause of that dream.
→ “I know why” (Y = why)
→ “because” (bee + cause = because)

✔ “I know why,” said Mrs. Jones. “You didn’t sleep well because of that dream.”

---

Line 10:
> 👁️ think U 8 2 much 🥫 + D last 🛡️.
→ “I think you ate too much canned food last night.”
(U = you, 8 = ate, 2 = too, can + D = canned? Wait — “can” + “D” = “canned”? Not quite.

“can” + “d” = “canned” — yes, if D is “d”.

And “last knight” — but earlier we had knight for “night”, so here also “last night”.

Also, the shield might be “night” — homophone.

So: “I think you ate too much canned food last night.”

But what is “D”? It’s a red letter D — so “can” + “D” = “cand”? No.

Wait — “can” + “d” = “canned” — if D represents “d”.

Yes, that works.

And “last knight” = “last night”.

✔ “I think you ate too much canned food last night.”

---

Line 11:
> U always have strange dreams when U eat 2 much 🥫 + D “.
→ Same as above: “You always have strange dreams when you eat too much canned food.”

✔ “You always have strange dreams when you eat too much canned food.”

---

Line 12:
> “That’s true”, said Mr. Jones, “but it was fun 🐝 + ing and acro + 🦇
→ “being” (bee + ing = being)
→ “acrobat” (acro + bat)

✔ “That’s true,” said Mr. Jones, “but it was fun being and acrobat”

Wait — “fun being an acrobat” — missing “an”.

Probably implied.

---

Line 13:
> 4 a while instead of a 🚗 + ️ + ter!”.
→ “for a while” (4 = for)
→ “instead of a car + pen + ter” → “carpenter”

(car + pen + ter = carpenter)

✔ “for a while instead of a carpenter!”

---

Now let’s assemble the full story:

“One Sunday morning, Mr. Jones said to his wife, ‘I had a wonderful dream last night. I dreamed that I was an acrobat in a carnival. I had a little monkey who was wearing a pink bell. People were watching us as we started to light some candles.’

‘What did you do then?’ asked Mrs. Jones.

‘I don’t know. I can’t remember,’ Mr. Jones said. ‘But now I feel very tired.’

‘I know why,’ said Mrs. Jones. ‘You didn’t sleep well because of that dream. I think you ate too much canned food last night. You always have strange dreams when you eat too much canned food.’

‘That’s true,’ said Mr. Jones, ‘but it was fun being an acrobat for a while instead of a carpenter!’”

Wait — in line 4, we had “pink bell” — but is that correct?

Let me double-check line 4:

Original: “a little mon + 🔑 who was wear + 💍 a p + 🖋️ + 🔔 + t.”

“mon” + “key” = monkey
“wear” + “ring” = wearing
“p” + “ink” + “bell” + “t” = ?

If “ink” is “in k” — no.

Perhaps “p” + “en” = “pen”, but then “bell” + “t” = “belt” — “pen belt”?

No.

Another possibility: “p” + “ink” = “pink”, and “bell” + “t” = “belt” — so “pink belt”.

But in context, a monkey wearing a pink belt in a carnival? Possible.

Maybe it’s “a little monkey who was wearing a pet bell” — and “p” + “et” = “pet”, but “et” isn't there.

Unless the ink bottle is “et” — unlikely.

Perhaps it’s “a little monkey who was wearing a bell” — and the “p” and “ink” and “t” are distractions? But that seems wrong.

Let’s consider: “p” + “ink” = “pink”, and “bell” + “t” = “belt” — so “pink belt”.

I think we have to go with that.

In many rebus puzzles, “ink” is used for “in k” — but here it's probably “pink”.

So final story:

**One Sunday morning, Mr. Jones said to his wife, “I had a wonderful dream last night. I dreamed that I was an acrobat in a carnival. I had a little monkey who was wearing a pink belt. People were watching us as we started to light some candles.”

“What did you do then?” asked Mrs. Jones.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember,” Mr. Jones said. “But now I feel very tired.”

“I know why,” said Mrs. Jones. “You didn’t sleep well because of that dream. I think you ate too much canned food last night. You always have strange dreams when you eat too much canned food.”

“That’s true,” said Mr. Jones, “but it was fun being an acrobat for a while instead of a carpenter!”**

Wait — in line 4, it says “a p + [ink] + [bell] + t” — if we take “p” + “ink” = “pink”, and “bell” + “t” = “belt”, then “pink belt”.

But in the original, it’s “wear + ring a p + ...” — so “wearing a pink belt”.

Yes.

Some might argue “pet bell”, but “pink belt” fits the rebus better.

Also, in line 10 and 11, “can + D” — D is likely “d”, so “canned”.

And “last knight” = “last night”.

All good.

Final Answer:

One Sunday morning, Mr. Jones said to his wife, “I had a wonderful dream last night. I dreamed that I was an acrobat in a carnival. I had a little monkey who was wearing a pink belt. People were watching us as we started to light some candles.”

“What did you do then?” asked Mrs. Jones.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember,” Mr. Jones said. “But now I feel very tired.”

“I know why,” said Mrs. Jones. “You didn’t sleep well because of that dream. I think you ate too much canned food last night. You always have strange dreams when you eat too much canned food.”

“That’s true,” said Mr. Jones, “but it was fun being an acrobat for a while instead of a carpenter!”