Word Ladders | Education World - Free Printable

Problem: Word Ladders

The task involves transforming one word into another by changing one letter at a time, ensuring that each intermediate step forms a valid English word. Hints are provided to guide the solution.

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Solution:

#### 1. Turn "milk" into "pail"
- Start: milk
- Step 1: Hint: another word for "grind" → mill (a place where grain is ground)
- Step 2: Hint: you can shop here → mall (a shopping center)
- Step 3: Hint: way to send a letter → mail (postal service)
- Step 4: Hint: container for water → pail (a bucket)

Chain: milk → mill → mall → mail → pail

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#### 2. Turn "fire" into "heat"
- Start: fire
- Step 1: Hint: employ at a job → hire (to engage someone for work)
- Step 2: Hint: group of cows → herd (a collection of cattle)
- Step 3: Hint: brain casing → head (the top part of the body)
- Step 4: Hint: brain casing → heat (temperature or warmth)

Chain: fire → hire → herd → head → heat

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#### 3. Turn "fool" into "sage"
- Start: fool
- Step 1: Hint: place to swim → pool (a swimming area)
- Step 2: Hint: political survey → poll (a survey of opinions)
- Step 3: Hint: long metal object → pole (a tall, thin structure)
- Step 4: Hint: not tan → pale (opposite of tanned)
- Step 5: Hint: leaf in a book → page (a sheet of paper)
- Step 6: Hint: wise person → sage (a wise individual)

Chain: fool → pool → poll → pole → pale → page → sage

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#### 4. Turn "army" into "name"
- Start: army
- Step 1: Hint: not legs, but... → arms (upper limbs)
- Step 2: Hint: goals → aims (objectives)
- Step 3: Hint: fades → anes (a type of animal, specifically an ass)
- Step 4: Hint: they block up rivers → dams (structures to hold back water)
- Step 5: Hint: slang term for a woman → babe (informal term for a woman)
- Step 6: Hint: wise person → name (a famous or notable individual)

Chain: army → arms → aims → anes → dams → babe → name

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#### 5. Turn "mice" into "rats"
- Start: mice
- Step 1: Hint: another word for a bug → lice (plural of louse)
- Step 2: Hint: your good friend → lips (part of the face)
- Step 3: Hint: you wipe your feet on them → rugs (floor coverings)
- Step 4: Hint: small rodents → rats (another type of rodent)

Chain: mice → lice → lips → rugs → rats

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#### 6. Turn "clock" into "clown"
- Start: clock
- Step 1: Hint: container for butter → crock (a ceramic pot)
- Step 2: Hint: a thief → thief (someone who steals)
- Step 3: Hint: to sing → tune (melody or song)
- Step 4: Hint: royalty's headgear → crown (a royal headdress)
- Step 5: Hint: funny person → clown (a humorous performer)

Chain: clock → crock → thief → tune → crown → clown

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Final Answer:

1. milk → mill → mall → mail → pail
2. fire → hire → herd → head → heat
3. fool → pool → poll → pole → pale → page → sage
4. army → arms → aims → anes → dams → babe → name
5. mice → lice → lips → rugs → rats
6. clock → crock → thief → tune → crown → clown

Boxed Answer:
\[
\boxed{
\begin{array}{l}
1. \text{milk → mill → mall → mail → pail} \\
2. \text{fire → hire → herd → head → heat} \\
3. \text{fool → pool → poll → pole → pale → page → sage} \\
4. \text{army → arms → aims → anes → dams → babe → name} \\
5. \text{mice → lice → lips → rugs → rats} \\
6. \text{clock → crock → thief → tune → crown → clown}
\end{array}
}
\]