take up

turn one's interest to

“He took up herpetology at the age of fifty”

take up time or space

“take up the slack”

begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job

“Take up a position”

“start a new job”

take up and practice as one's own

occupy or take on

“He assumes the lotus position”

“She took her seat on the stage”

“We took our seats in the orchestra”

“She took up her position behind the tree”

“strike a pose”

take up a liquid or a gas either by adsorption or by absorption

chemistry

take out or up with or as if with a scoop

“scoop the sugar out of the container”

accept

“The cloth takes up the liquid”

take in, also metaphorically

“The sponge absorbs water well”

“She drew strength from the minister's words”

take up as if with a sponge

return to a previous location or condition

“The painting resumed its old condition when we restored it”