(1) the provinces of Canada
(2) The show will tour the provinces after it closes in London.
(3) a shy young man from the provinces

(1) You can cash cheques here by prior arrangement with the bank.
(2) plans of the possible seating arrangements
(3) the art of flower arrangement

(1) an ugly face
(2) an ugly building
(3) an ugly incident

(1) the chairman of the board of governors (= of a school)
(2) The chairman of the company presented the annual report.
(3) I hear you, Mr. chairman.

(1) The villages had been deserted.
(2) The owl seems to have deserted its nest.
(3) Large numbers of soldiers deserted as defeat became inevitable.

(1) Recovery from the disease is very gradual.
(2) a gradual change in the climate
(3) You can expect her progress at school to be gradual rather than brilliant.

(1) a bar stool
(2) a piano stool
(3) O'Brien sat on a bar stool and leaned his elbows on the counter.

(1) housing provision
(2) The government is responsible for the provision of health care.
(3) There is no provision for anyone to sit down here.

(1) The CompuServe management is on the case now, and it looks as if things will return to normal soon.
(2) ...a black case for his spectacles.
(3) ...a 10-foot-long stuffed alligator in a glass case.

(1) Her hands were folded in an attitude of prayer.
(2) a band with attitude
(3) You'd better get rid of that attitude and shape up, young man.

(1) in accordance with legal requirements
(2) Entries which are not in accordance with the rules will be disqualified.
(3) In strict accordance with the proportion of milk powder packaging recommended dosage of red withered milk.

(1) The match flared and went out.
(2) The fire flared into life.
(3) (figurative)Colour flared in her cheeks.

(1) It's perfectly normal to feel like this.
(2) It's perfectly good as it is (= it doesn't need changing) .
(3) You know perfectly well what I mean.

(1) to pursue a goal/an aim/an objective
(2) We intend to pursue this policy with determination.
(3) She wishes to pursue a medical career.

(1) A bunch of kids were hanging around outside.
(2) a kid of 15
(3) She's a bright kid.

(1) Southeast conference football champions
(2) The hotel is used for exhibitions, conferences and social events.
(3) a conference room/centre/hall

(1) He had to laugh despite himself.
(2) Her voice was shaking despite all her efforts to control it.
(3) despite applying for hundreds of jobs, he is still out of work.

(1) to put sth on temporary/permanent display
(2) The exhibition gives local artists an opportunity to display their work.
(3) She displayed her bruises for all to see.

(1) to play football
(2) a football match/team/stadium
(3) Health care should not become a political football.

(1) assign a different colour to each different type of information.
(2) The painting cannot be assigned an exact date.
(3) The agreement assigns copyright to the publisher.

(1) a doctor of Philosophy/Law
(2) doctor Franks (= as a title/form of address)
(3) He was accused of doctoring the figures.

(1) (figurative)As a child he would often escape into a dreamworld of his own.
(2) They were glad to have escaped the clutches of winter for another year.
(3) She was lucky to escape punishment.

(1) He thanked all who had a hand in his release.
(2) hand in hand with the police inquiries the government has also announced a full investigation.
(3) For us, research and teaching go hand in hand...

(1) His face was dark with rage.
(2) to be shaking/trembling/speechless with rage
(3) Sue stormed out of the room in a rage .

(1) a bus conductor
(2) Wood is a poor conductor.
(3) Copper is a good conductor of heat.

(1) Her job demands a high degree of skill.
(2) I agree with you to a certain degree .
(3) To what degree can parents be held responsible for a child's behaviour?

(1) You've been like a father to me.
(2) Our new boss is a father of three (= he has three children) .
(3) He was a wonderful father to both his natural and adopted children.

(1) He always goes to bed at ten─he's a creature of habit (= he likes to do the same things at the same time every day) .
(2) The dormouse is a shy, nocturnal creature.
(3) respect for all living creatures

(1) A physician specializing in internal medicine.
(2) Yuan Chenglin : Chief physician, Associate Professor and Master Tutor.
(3) Conclusion: DCG is a secure, noninvasive, repeatable detective method, can provide the physician with precise clinical information.

(1) Just shut up, or else!
(2) He either forgot or else decided not to come.
(3) They can't be coming or else they'd have called.

(1) 'What's his name?'—'Peter.'...
(2) I don't even know if Sullivan's his real name...
(3) My mother insisted on naming me Horace.

(1) I excused myself and ran back to the telephone...
(2) Police believe the gunmen ran off into the woods...
(3) ...when I was running in the New York Marathon...

(1) a pair of slippers
(2) Princess Bnn : At midnight, I'll turn into a pumpkin and drive away in my glass slipper.
(3) A soft leather slipper traditionally worn by native Americans.

(1) His wife was dripping with (= wearing a lot of) gold.
(2) I love the reds and golds of autumn.
(3) The team look set to win Olympic gold.

(1) What are you frowning at me for?
(2) She frowned with concentration.
(3) In her family, any expression of feeling was frowned upon.

(1) The football riots made me ashamed to be English.
(2) Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of .
(3) I'm ashamed to say that I lied to her.

(1) a period of consultation/mourning/uncertainty
(2) The factory will be closed down over a 2-year period/a period of two years.
(3) This compares with a 4% increase for the same period last year.

(1) What's the depth of the water here?
(2) Water was found at a depth of 30 metres.
(3) They dug down to a depth of two metres.

(1) It was good to be back on land .
(2) We made the journey by land , though flying would have been cheaper.
(3) In the distance the crew sighted land.

(1) a recent development/discovery/event
(2) his most recent visit to Poland
(3) There have been many changes in recent years .