What does 'work out' mean? It seems to mean different things.

Work out has three main meanings:

1. Exercise: "I work out three times a week." (go to the gym, train)

2. Solve or calculate: "Can you work out the total?" / "I'm trying to work out why it failed."

3. Go well / succeed: "It didn't work out between us." / "I hope it works out for you."

The third meaning is the trickiest: When something "works out", it resolves itself successfully, or in context, it simply resolves itself (not necessarily well). "It didn't work out" means it failed or ended.

Telling them apart: The context makes it clear. "She works out every morning" = exercise. "Work out how much we owe" = calculate. "I hope it works out" = I hope it goes well.

Register: Casual to professional. All three meanings are common.

Tags: phrasal verbs, multiple meanings, exercise, vocabulary