The word mean has several meanings:

1. To intend or signify something. When you ask “What do you mean?” you're asking someone to explain their words or actions more clearly. A stop sign means you must stop your vehicle. When someone says “I didn't mean to hurt your feelings,” they're explaining that causing pain wasn't their intention. The meaning of a word is what it represents or communicates.
2. To be unkind or cruel. A mean person might tease others, exclude them from games, or say hurtful things on purpose. Being mean is different from accidentally hurting someone's feelings: it involves deliberately choosing to be hurtful or unfair. Someone who acts mean might take another kid's lunch, spread rumors, or mock someone for making a mistake.
3. The average of a set of numbers. In math, the mean is what you get when you add up all the numbers in a group and divide by how many numbers there are. If five students score 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 on a test, the mean score is 90 (450 divided by 5). Teachers often use the mean to understand how a whole class performed.