The word tear has two completely different meanings:

1. To rip or pull something apart. When you tear a piece of paper, you pull it into pieces. You might accidentally tear your jeans climbing a fence, or carefully tear open a birthday present. A strong wind can tear leaves off trees. When something gets torn, it has a rip or hole in it. The word can also mean to move very fast: a car might tear down the street, or a soccer player might tear across the field toward the goal.
2. A drop of salty liquid that comes from your eyes when you cry. Tears flow when you're sad, hurt, frustrated, or sometimes even when you're laughing really hard. Your eyes also produce tears constantly to keep them moist and healthy, though you don't usually notice them. When something makes someone cry, you might say it brought them to tears. Someone might be moved to tears by a beautiful piece of music, or in tears after losing something important to them.