Common Meanings
1
mó磨
To rub, grind, or polish; to sharpen; to train or temper through hardship; to break in (e.g., new machinery).
爷爷正在磨刀，准备下午去修剪花园里的灌木。
Grandpa is sharpening his knife, preparing to prune the bushes in the garden this afternoon.
Obstacle; difficulty; hardship; to suffer.
在实现梦想的道路上，我们总会遇到各种磨难。
On the path to realizing our dreams, we will always encounter various hardships.
To consume, wear down, or obliterate, as in 'wear and tear' or 'erode'.
这双鞋穿久了，鞋底已经磨损得很厉害。
These shoes have been worn for a long time, and the soles are severely worn out.
to delay; to procrastinate; to spend a lot of time or effort on something
他总是喜欢磨磨蹭蹭，不肯立刻开始工作。
He always likes to procrastinate and is unwilling to start working immediately.
2
mò磨
A tool or place for grinding grain: stone mill, electric mill, millstone, mill, to grind.
这个老磨坊里还保留着一个巨大的石磨，以前人们用它来磨谷物。
This old mill still preserves a huge stone mill, which people used to grind grains.
To grind or mill grains (like flour, rice) or other food items (like soybeans for tofu).
她喜欢自己在家磨豆腐。
She likes to make her own tofu at home.
To turn around or pivot a vehicle (or similar large object) in a confined space, often implying difficulty.
院子太小，大货车磨不过身来
The yard is too small, the big truck can't turn around.