Question

What does it mean to make an inference?

To converse directly with the reader through text
To write with many explicit messages throughout
To help a person read a difficult piece of writing
To figure out the hidden meaning of a text

Answer 1

to figure out the hidden meaning of a text

Answer 2

I agree with the person above - to make an inference indeed means to figure out the hidden meaning of a text. Usually, you would do this based on some clues that the author has written over the course of the novel you are reading at the moment.