In this paper, we explore the relationship between metaphor and polysemy. We begin by discussing how novel metaphoric mappings can create new word meanings in the form of domain-general representations. Tuming next to consider the implications of this view for the on-line comprehension of figurative language, we suggest that there is a shift from comparison processing to categorization processing as metaphors are conventionalized. Finally, we describe a series of experimental findings that support the proposed account.
