Puns in Headlines and Signs

Hand out the reference chart first and keep it on desks. Use the pun and irony sheets as short warm ups, then assign one passage sheet so students practice naming devices in context.

Find the two meanings in ten puns, from a bakery sign to a clock shop headline. A pun uses one word or sound with two meanings, and both meanings fit the sentence. The directions on the page read: Underline the word or phrase that makes each pun. Then write its two meanings, one meaning on each line. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 8th grade figurative language, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.

Verbal irony is when a speaker says the opposite of what is really meant, often to joke or complain. Saying perfect day for a picnic during a thunderstorm is an example. Verbal Irony in Dialogue asks students to explain what each speaker really means.

Find the word with two meanings and show that both fit the sentence. In the headline Calendar Makers Fear Their Days Are Numbered, numbered means both printed with numbers and coming to an end.

Hyperbole exaggerates far beyond the truth, like a backpack that weighs as much as a school bus. Understatement makes something sound smaller, like calling a hurricane breezy. Hyperbole or Understatement Path Puzzle sorts examples of both.