Homonyms from Acts to Affect

by Lisa Binion

Homonyms are a source of confusion for many people. These words sound exactly alike, but each one has its own way of being spelled and its own meaning. I never realized how many homonyms there were until I began to search for them. This article covers only a few of the many homonyms I have discovered.

Acts, besides being a book in the New Testament of the Bible, are deeds that people have done. Acts are also divisions in a play.
The book of Acts was written by the apostle Paul.
The ruler's noble acts were recorded for his historians.
The play has five acts.
An ax is a sharp instrument used to chop down a tree or some other object.
The farmer practiced chopping with his new ax.

Ad is short for advertisement, an announcement of goods or products for sale.
The ad for the new tennis shoes ran every five minutes.
Add is short for addition, the process of finding the total of two or more numbers.
Lakeisha is learning how to add in math class.

Adds - When one adds, one says or writes more, one finds the totals of two or more numbers. Or one may increase the number of something.
She continually adds more words to the script.
Ads is more than one advertisement.
Several ads for the new movie appeared all over town.
An adze is an axelike tool used for chopping.
He went to the hardware store to buy a new adze.

When someone drinks an ade, they are drinking a fruit beverage.
Beverly sold an ade made from peaches and bananas to raise money for her project.
When you help someone do some work, you aid them.
Mother needs some aid with her housework.
An aide is an assistant.
Mr. Hodgins hired a new aide.

An aerie, or an eagle’s nest, is something that most of us will never have the pleasure of viewing.
The arduous climb up the cliff was well worth the view of the aerie that Joseph now beheld.
Airy means breezy.
The airy day was perfect for hanging laundry outside on the clothesline.

Aero has to do with aircraft.
The aero engine was difficult to work on.
An arrow is a slender, straight pointed missile or weapon made to be shot from a bow.
Timothy aimed the bow and arrow at the approaching deer.

Affect means to change.
Not studying for the test will affect your grade in a negative way.
Effect means result.
As an effect of studying for the test, Jerri scored 100%.