What is Zeugma?

Zeugma is when you use a word in a sentence once, while conveying two
different meanings at the same time. Sometimes, the word is literal in one part
of the sentence, but figurative in another; other times, it’s just two completely
separate meanings for the word.
Example 2
They left the room with tear-filled eyes and hearts.
Obviously, hearts don’t fill up with tears, except in a very figurative sense. (If
their hearts were literally filling with tears, they would need to go straight to the
hospital!) So this too is an example of zeugma where tear-filled is being used
both literally and figuratively at the same time.
Example 3
He lost his briefcase, then his job, then his mind.
The word “lost” is used in multiple senses, with each image slightly more
unfortunate than the last. Through zeugma, this 10-word sentence tells
a story which revolves around the single verb “lost.” We can follow the
progression of events through the story quite easily, thanks to the flexibility of
the word.
 

III. The Importance of Zeugma

The basic function of zeugma is surprise. Take the first example in §2: the
potatoes and peanuts lead us to expect that the third word will be another crop.
But the word “bored” violates this expectation and surprises the reader. Our
brains try to fit the new word into the old pattern, and it results in the
humorous image of boredom growing out of the earth like a crop!

Even when the surprise doesn’t result in humor, it still makes the phrase stand
out. In the second example, above, the image of “tear-filled hearts” is an
unusual figure of speech produced by the zeugma.

 Examples of Zeugma in Popular Culture

Example 1
You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit. (Riker, “Star Trek: The
Next Generation”)
In the first sense, the linking word means “put into effect,” as one does with
laws; in the second sense, it means “kill.”
Example 2
You held your breath and the door for me. (Alanis Morissette, “Head Over Feet”)
Both senses of “held” are literal, but they mean slightly different things.