What does muddle mean?
Word: Muddle
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Muddle means a state of confusion in which things are mixed up or untidy. As a verb, it means to get things mixed up.
Synonyms: mess, mix-up
How do you spell muddle?
Syllables: mud - dle
Tricky part: Two ds sit in the middle. Children often stop at one and write mudle.
Watch out for: mudle, mudel
Memory tip: Get in a muddle and you start seeing double: two ds.
Muddle in a sentence
Example 1: I got in a muddle over the dates of the school trip.
Example 2: Dada's socks are in a muddle in the top drawer.
Example 3: Don't muddle the two recipes or the cake will taste odd.
Fun Fact
The word probably comes from an old Dutch word that meant to dabble in mud, so at first the word was linked with wallowing in mud.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the option in which the following letters will fit in the given order:
u, e
a) b_ttl_
b) m_ddl_
c) k_ttl_
d) l_ttl_
Show answer
b) m_ddl_. The vowels u and e turn m_ddl_ into a word, but nothing sensible comes of the others.
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with the given word?
muddle
a) cuddle
b) noodle
c) puddle
d) huddle
Show answer
b) noodle. Noodle has a long oo sound; the other words share the short u.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
dludem
a) a long seat in a park with a back to it
b) a situation in which nobody is sure what goes where
c) a tall tower that guides ships at night
d) a large hole dug in the ground to hold water
Show answer
b) a situation in which nobody is sure what goes where. Sorted out, dludem gives the word for a confused state.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
The papers were in such a ___ that nobody could find the list.
a) muddle
b) meddle
c) middle
d) puddle
Show answer
a) muddle. Only the word for a confused state makes sense with lost papers.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. You muddle the names of your twin cousins. What have you done?
a) written their names very neatly
b) called each one by the wrong name
c) met them for the first time
d) forgotten to invite them both
Show answer
b) called each one by the wrong name
2. Which of these is the opposite of a room in a muddle?
a) a room with no windows
b) a room painted bright blue
c) a room in perfect order
d) a room at the very top
Show answer
c) a room in perfect order
