When Rashi uses, what we may loosely call, the hononym method, Rashi does not explain new meaning but rather shows an underlying unity in disparate meanings. Rashi will frequently do this by showing an underlying unity in the varied meanings of a Biblical root.

In my article Peshat and Derash found on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rashi.pdf. I advocate enriching the Rashi explanation using a technique of parallel nifty translations in modern English. Today's examples show this.

The Heberw Biblical root Yud-Resh-daleth has a fundamental meaning of Falling. Hence this Biblical root can mean
• to fall
• to conquer [ since you frequently conquer a person by felling them; you similarly frequently conquer a city by felling it. ]

Applying the above translation to Dt20-20a discussing a war situation between Israel and a non-Jewish enemy we obtain Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, them thou mayest destroy and cut down, that thou mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it it is conquered.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi's point is that it would be natural to translate the verse ....thou mayest ...until the city falls. Rashi's point is that the city need not literally fall - it is enough that it be conquered. This is consistent with Jewish law (and with the opening verse of this Biblical section) that an agreement by the city to peace terms - 1) acceptance of basic Noachide laws of morality and 2) recognition (by paying taxes) of Israeli sovereignty - would not necessitate felling it since the non-violent acceptance of peace terms is consistent with conquest. For this reasons Rashi translates Yud-Resh-Dalet as conquest vs. fall.