shovel / blade / spade
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shovel
A tool with a flat, wide blade and a handle, used for digging or moving loose material such as soil, sand, or snow.
Mit der Schaufel lud er den Sand auf die Schubkarre.
He used the shovel to load the sand onto the wheelbarrow.
'Die Schaufel' (the shovel) is the noun related to the verb 'schaufeln' (to shovel). Both words refer to the activity of moving material with a shovel.
Wir müssen den ganzen Schnee vom Gehweg schaufeln.
We have to shovel all the snow off the sidewalk.
You can easily recognize which meaning is intended from the context. In the garden or on a construction site, it means the tool. In a technical context (turbine, wind turbine), it means a component. In card games, it is a suit.
Kannst du mir die Schaufel aus dem Schuppen holen?
Can you get me the shovel from the shed?
In connection with the tool, typical verbs are 'graben' (to dig), 'nehmen' (to take), or 'laden' (to load). It is also often mentioned together with other tools such as 'Spaten' (spade) or 'Rechen' (rake).
Er nahm den Kies mit der Schaufel auf.
He picked up the gravel with the shovel.
The meaning as a component of a turbine or wheel is technical jargon. It is used almost exclusively in contexts such as mechanical engineering, aviation, or energy technology.
Der Ingenieur überprüft den Zustand der Turbinenschaufeln.
The engineer checks the condition of the turbine blades.
leaf / sheet
'das Blatt' and 'die Schaufel' can occur together when talking about a tool. On a shovel, the wide, flat part at the front is the 'Blatt'; the whole thing with the handle is called a 'Schaufel'. So the words are not really the same, but refer to part and whole. They can be confused because the shovel blade is very noticeable. If you mean the tool used for digging, you say 'Schaufel'. If you only mean the flat front part, 'Blatt' is more precise.
Für den Sandkasten bringt Tom eine kleine Schaufel mit.
Tom brings a small shovel for the sandbox.
Das Blatt der Schaufel ist nach der Gartenarbeit voller Erde.
The blade of the shovel is covered in soil after the gardening.