Friendly owl ready to practise wordplay

Read a joke, find the word that makes it work, and draw or explain its two meanings. You can talk through this page or use your browser's Print command. The answer guidance starts on a separate printed page.

Use one activity as a warm-up, or work through all four. Children can write, draw, point or explain aloud.

A worked example: bark

What did the dog say to the tree?
Bark!

The two meanings: bark is a dog sound and the outside covering of a tree. The answer fits both the dog and the tree. You could draw a dog making a sound beside a tree trunk.

Your turn

Name: ____________________   Date: ____________________

1. The duck at the cafe

What did the duck say after lunch at the cafe?
Put it on my bill!

  1. Which word or pair of words makes the answer surprising?
  2. Explain the two meanings.
  3. Draw the two meanings, or describe what you would draw.

2. The horse in the play

Why did the horse get the biggest part in the play?
It was the mane character.

  1. Which word or pair of words makes the answer surprising?
  2. Explain the two meanings.
  3. Draw the two meanings, or describe what you would draw.

3. The cat and the film

Why did the cat stop the film for a snack?
It pressed paws.

  1. Which word or pair of words makes the answer surprising?
  2. Explain the two meanings.
  3. Draw the two meanings, or describe what you would draw.

4. The goat cinema trip

Why did the little goats sit in the front row at the cinema?
It was the kids' section.

  1. Which word or pair of words makes the answer surprising?
  2. Explain the two meanings.
  3. Draw the two meanings, or describe what you would draw.

Answer guidance

Accept explanations in the learner's own words. A clear drawing or spoken explanation can show understanding too.

  1. bill: A duck's beak; a request for payment. The answer uses a cafe phrase as if the duck could use its beak to pay.
  2. mane / main: A mane is long hair on a horse's neck; main means most important. Mane sounds like main, so the horse becomes part of the phrase main character.
  3. paws / pause: Paws are animal feet; pause means a short stop. The cat's feet replace the sound-alike word on a playback control.
  4. kids: Children; young goats. A place for children becomes a place for young goats too.

Talk about the kind of wordplay

Bill and kids each use one spelling with different meanings. Mane/main and paws/pause use two spellings that sound alike in many English accents. Discuss the sounds learners use if a pair does not sound identical to them.

A small extension

Change the animal or the setting in one joke. Does the answer still work? Explain why, then write or tell a new version that keeps the word connection and stays kind.

For more practice, try the animal wordplay worksheet, read the pun guide, or return to teacher resources.

Play with animal puns

Try the pun learning game: finish six animal jokes, then find out why the wordplay works. Hints and explanations help you learn as you play.