* Literal: The wildfire left nothing but ashes in its wake.
* Figurative: Her dreams were reduced to ashes after the company went bankrupt.
* Idiom: He rose from the ashes of defeat and became a successful entrepreneur.
* Religious: The priest scattered the ashes on the congregation during Ash Wednesday.
* Descriptive: The ashes from the bonfire danced in the wind, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.