polysemy
\POL-ee-see-mee, puh-LIS-uh-mee\
noun
1. diversity of meanings.
Quotes
The results of my grim-faced, slash-and-burn treks through the “polysemy” of canonical texts were infinitely duller and cruder than any of my naïve high school efforts to figure out what authors actually meant.
-- Zoë Heller, "Should an Author's Intentions Matter?" New York Times, March 10, 2015
Origin
Polysemy is a term from the field of linguistics. It can be traced to the Greek terms polý meaning "many" and sêma meaning "sign."
Dictionary.com
