The period is the time between successive maxima. The frequency is the number of maxima that pass per second. The phase tells us how far through a cycle something is. Reflection occurs when a surface throws back the heat, light, sound etc that falls on it. Refraction is the change of direction that occurs when the medium changes.
Diffraction occurs when a wavefront bends near a gap or an edge in the same medium.
Interference occurs when waves pass through each other at a point in space and the result at that point is the sum of the wave heights. Polarisation occurs for transverse waves when the vibration directions are not randomly oriented.