This is the 989th most frequent Hebrew word.
חלה
The Hebrew word "חלה" can mean "challah" (a type of bread), "became sick," or "initiated/began," depending on context.
In this sentence, 'חלה' refers to challah, which is a type of braided bread traditionally eaten in Jewish culture.
אתמול אכלנו חלה לארוחת ערב.
Yesterday we ate challah for dinner.
Here, 'חלה' is a verb form meaning 'to begin (a disease)' or 'to befall'.
המחלה חלה בשבוע שעבר.
The disease began last week.
In this instance, 'חלה' is used as a verb meaning 'to become ill'.