Sentence:  I mean something more like Freud 's concept of the utility of `` play '' to a small child : he plays `` house '' or `` doctor '' or `` fireman '' as a <WSD>way</WSD> of mastering slightly frightening experiences , reliving them imaginatively until they are under control . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  how a result is obtained or an end is achieved