When Rashi uses, what we may losely 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 Kuph-beth has a fundamental meaning of hollow. Hence this Biblical root can mean
• a tent [ which is hollow inside ]
• belly [ which is also hollow inside ]
• a crate (Kav) [ a hollow container which roughly can hold the volume of 2 dozen eggs ] a hammar [ an instrument used in making holes (a hole is a 2 dimensional hollow) ]
• female
• to fit [ very roughly to take a hollow container and fit it snugly so it holds its content without any more room left over ]

Applying the above translation to Nu25-08a discussing the execution of Zimri and his lover by Pinchas we obtain And he went after the man of Israel into the tent (Kuph-Beth-Hey, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly(Kuph-Beth-Tauv-Hey). So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. Hence the Rashi: Words with Hebrew roots Kuph-Beth-Hey occur twice in thie verse: The first refers to a hollow tent while the second refers to a hollow belly.