While embodiment is widely accepted as an important theoretical basis in interaction design and HCI, few studies explore movement-based meaning making in interacting with ambient media. Building on embodied interaction, this paper aims to identify and analyze key characteristics of audience experience and the role of bodily movement in meaningful making through an empirical study. A prototype “Piano Staircase” is built for experience tests and empirical data collection. Experiments with 30 participants have been conducted. The findings show bodily interaction can activate embodied conceptual mapping and facilitate meaningful audience experience. The model of embodied meaning making provides possibilities for analyzing meaningful experience with ambient media.