This lesson introduces four simple, easy-to-identify context clues intended to teach students to use them as they read challenging texts independently. Denotative and connotative meanings are explained and illustrated in the context of the story. Students apply their learning from the beginning of this lesson to a first reading of the beloved story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. This short context-clues lesson and the accompanying quiz, activity, and chart are easily adaptable to use as a segue to the first reading of any challenging novel, short story, or play where vocabulary may be especially difficult and a need to teach and/or review context clues is essential.