Ambiguous vs Ambivalent
ambiguous
open to multiple meanings
ambivalent
having mixed feelings
How to tell them apart
ambiGUous: a GUess about meaning; it could mean many things. ambiVALent: your feelings VAcilLate; you VALue both sides, so you're torn.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means open to multiple meanings. That word is ______.”
Choose: ambiguous or ambivalent
Show answer
Answer: ambiguous
Ambiguous means open to multiple meanings, which matches open to multiple meanings. Ambivalent means having mixed feelings, so it is the wrong choice here.
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