What looks like the same metaphor in action may be used in different ways, that is, deliberately or non-deliberately, or even with different local analogies. This variation generates different meanings between distinct moments of action within and between people. This is especially so when the metaphor in question is based on polysemy which causes ambiguity and therefore multivalence of metaphor (which holds true for most metaphor).

In particular, if metaphors can be used deliberately or non-deliberately, this can happen in an exchange between two people who take different routes in processing the metaphor (see The Ambiguity of Metaphor: How Polysemy Affords Multivalent Metaphor Use and Explains the Paradox of metaphor). It may also happen when a metaphor is used deliberately at the beginning of a text or exchange, and then becomes more and more established as the textual perspective. Then it can change forms and hence preferred (less metaphorical) interpretations (see Slowing Metaphor Down: Elaborating Deliberate Metaphor Theory | Gerard J. Steen).

This DMT approach is related to the in vitro test of the career of metaphor by Bowdle and Gentner (BowdleGentner05.pdf), who showed how novel metaphor can get conventionalized fairly rapidly, and how this changes preferred metaphor forms as well as  processing mechanisms. This alters metaphor meanings within individuals.