Sentence:  I mean something more like Freud 's concept of the utility of `` play '' to a small child : he <WSD>plays</WSD> `` house '' or `` doctor '' or `` fireman '' as a way of mastering slightly frightening experiences , reliving them imaginatively until they are under control . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity