Answers:
Following are the homonym mistakes in the story: the incorrect homonym is listed first; the correct word follows. Usually the words are pronounced exactly alike. A short definition follows each word.
Lea – an open grassy area such as a mountain valley
Lee - shelter from the elements given by an object
Aid – help of a practical nature
Aide – an assistant to an important person
Affect – make a difference
Effect – change that is the result or consequence of an action
Principals – first in order of importance
Principles – fundamental truths serving as a foundation for belief systems
Poured – causing (a liquid) to flow in a steady stream
Pored – studiously reading or studying (plans or books)
Ariel – a gazelle found in the Middle East and North Africa
Aerial – happening in the air
Gorilla – a great ape found in Africa
Guerilla – a member of a group involved in irregular warfare
Dammed – a barrier across a lake, river or stream
Damned – cursed by others
Lightening – reducing the burden or weight
Lightning – a discharge of electricity from the sky
Phased – stages in progress or development
Fazed – disturbed or disconcerted
Faints – small or weak and dizzy, leading to unconsciousness
Feints – distracting maneuvers, especially in warfare
Flare - a pyrotechnic device, esp. used as a marker or signal
Flair – an instinctive aptitude or natural ability to do something well
Fort – fortified position or group of buildings
Forte – something at which someone excels
Auger – a tool for drilling holes
Augur – predict or portend an outcome
Flue – duct for smoke or gases
Flew – past tense of fly
Gaff – a barbed spear used to land large fish
Gaffe – a blunder, causing embarrassment
Foregoe – precede in time or place
Forgo – omit or decline to take
Cue – an act or word intended to serve as a signal
Queue – a line or sequence of people waiting their turn
Plains – a large geographical area with few trees
Planes – in the context of the story, aircraft
Complement - something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect
Compliment - an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration; especially : an admiring remark
Alter - to make different without changing into something else
Altar - often used figuratively to describe a thing given great or undue precedence or value especially at the cost of something else <sacrificed his family life on the altar of career advancement>
Assent – expression of approval
Ascent – rising through the air
Loose – not tight-fitting or snug
Lose – cease to have or retain
You’re – contraction of “you are”
Your – possessive adjective belonging to persons the speaker is addressing