Syllepsis is a figure of speech in which one word simultaneously modifies two or more other words such that the modification must be understood differently with respect to each modified word. This creates a semantic incongruity which is often humorous.
Examples:
He leaned heavily on the podium and stale jokes.
He lost his hat and his temper.
She went home in a flood of tears and a sedan chair -- Charles Dickens
You held your breath and the door for me. -- Alanis Morrissette, in "Head Over Feet":
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... 21.9 km² (8.5 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 8.24% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, th ...