v. 1
To take part in amorous activity; to make love; see also play around.
v. 2
To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
The children played in the park.
n. 1
A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.
This book contains all of Shakespeare's plays.
n. 2
Activity for amusement only, especially among the young.
Children learn through play.

Related words

Phrases: play up play down child's play play hooky play truant play around play house play possum
Is a kind of: try

Forms

Plural: plays → romps, frolics, skips, capers…
Past participle: played
e.g. played → acted, role-played, executed, performed…

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

3 letters: use¹, run¹, act¹, fun¹, bet¹, toy¹
4 letters: work¹, game¹, room¹, meet¹, move¹, turn¹, fool¹, pipe¹, skip¹, jest¹, romp¹
5 letters: bring¹, dance¹, sport¹, drama², swing¹, flirt¹, dolly², enact², wager², wreak¹, caper², feign¹
6 letters: action², listen², gaming², script¹, strain¹, behave², gamble², fiddle², trifle², frolic², diddle², gambol
7 letters: support², freedom², perform², pretend², execute³, pastime², twiddle²
8 letters: practice², activity⁴, exercise³, gambling³, practise², simulate³
9 letters: represent³, encounter³, amusement³, diversion³, melodrama⁴, dissemble³
10 letters: instrument³
11 letters: impersonate⁴
13 letters: entertainment⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (drama² = 2 syllables).