Rebus Puzzles

English idioms are encoded as picture-and-text rebus puzzles for students to decode from visual wordplay.

Year groups: Not Year Specific
File type: Microsoft PowerPoint
Editable: Yes

Updated Jan 03, 2023

Subject: Reading, English
Topic: Rebus Puzzles, Riddles
Resource types: Presentations, Activities
Editable: Yes

From the author

About this resource

Idiomatic English phrases such as "adding insult to injury," "out in left field," and "let bygones be bygones" are encoded as picture-and-text rebus puzzles for students to decode from visual wordplay. Nine puzzle slides each present six to eight rebus clues using letter arrangement, size, position, and repetition to represent a phrase, and every slide is followed by a matching answer slide that spells out the idiom in full. The idioms skew toward adult and sports-related expressions, "double dribble," "7 Up cans," "wise guys," suggesting the set targets older students already comfortable with figurative English rather than beginning readers. No instructions for how to present the puzzles, as a slideshow, printed cards, or projected warm-up, are included in the file.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Decode a common English idiom from a visual rebus puzzle using letter position, size, and arrangement as clues

Teaching tips

Present one puzzle slide at a time and reveal its answer slide only after students attempt the idiom
Preview the idiom list before use, since several phrases (sports terms, adult expressions) may need explanation for younger or English-language-learner audiences
Use as a warm-up or transition activity rather than a full lesson, since the file provides no instructional framing

Skills covered

Idiom decoding — students interpret visual arrangements of letters and words to identify a common English idiom.
Figurative language recognition — students connect a decoded phrase to its idiomatic, non-literal meaning.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

What kind of vocabulary do the rebus phrases assume students already know?

Idioms like "double dribble," "out in left field," and "wise guys" draw on sports terminology and adult figurative expressions, suggesting the set suits older students already comfortable with English idioms rather than early readers.