WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

take up
    v 1: pursue or resume; "take up a matter for consideration"
    2: adopt; "take up new ideas" [syn: take up, latch on,
       fasten on, hook on, seize on]
    3: turn one's interest to; "He took up herpetology at the age of
       fifty"
    4: take up time or space; "take up the slack"
    5: begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job;
       "Take up a position"; "start a new job" [syn: start, take
       up]
    6: take up and practice as one's own [syn: adopt, borrow,
       take over, take up]
    7: 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"
       [syn: assume, take, strike, take up]
    8: take up a liquid or a gas either by adsorption or by
       absorption [syn: sorb, take up]
    9: take out or up with or as if with a scoop; "scoop the sugar
       out of the container" [syn: scoop, scoop out, lift out,
       scoop up, take up]
    10: accept; "The cloth takes up the liquid" [syn: take in,
        take up]
    11: take in, also metaphorically; "The sponge absorbs water
        well"; "She drew strength from the minister's words" [syn:
        absorb, suck, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck up,
        draw, take in, take up]
    12: take up as if with a sponge [syn: take in, sop up, suck
        in, take up]
    13: return to a previous location or condition; "The painting
        resumed its old condition when we restored it" [syn:
        resume, take up]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

314 Moby Thesaurus words for "take up":
   absorb, absorb the attention, accept, accumulate, admit, adopt,
   adsorb, affiliate, agglomerate, aggregate, aggroup, air, amass,
   amortize, analyze, annex, appropriate, approve, arrest, arrogate,
   assemble, assimilate, assume, attack, attempt, batch, be about,
   be doing, be engaged in, be occupied with, blot, blot up,
   bring together, buckle to, bulk, bunch, bunch together, bunch up,
   campaign for, canvass, carry, carry on, catch, charm, chemisorb,
   chemosorb, clear, clump, cluster, collect, colligate, collocate,
   colonize, combine, come out, commence, comment upon, compare,
   compile, complete, comprehend, comprise, conduct, conglomerate,
   conquer, consider, contain, controvert, corral, count in, cover,
   criticize, crusade for, cull, cumulate, deal with, debate,
   deliberate, deliberate upon, descant, dig up, digest, discharge,
   discourse, discourse about, discuss, dissert, dissertate, do,
   drag up, draw together, draw up, dredge, dredge up, drink,
   drink in, drink up, drive together, elevate, embark in, embark on,
   embark upon, embody, embrace, employ, enchant, encircle, enclose,
   encompass, endeavor, engage, engage in, engage the attention,
   engage the mind, engage the thoughts, engross, engross the mind,
   engross the thoughts, enslave, enter, enter on, enter upon,
   enthrall, envisage, espouse, examine, exchange views, exercise,
   fall into, fall to, fascinate, fill, fill in, fill out, fish up,
   follow, gather, gather in, gather together, gather up, get at,
   get hold of, get in, get off, get together, get under way, glean,
   glom on to, go about, go at, go in for, go into, go upon, grab,
   grip, group, grub, grub up, handle, haul up, have at, hog, hoist,
   hold, hold spellbound, hold the interest, honor, hypnotize, imbibe,
   immerse, include, incorporate, indent, infiltrate, initiate,
   inquire into, investigate, involve, involve the interest, join,
   jump a claim, juxtapose, kick, knock around, launch forth,
   launch into, lay about, lay hands on, lift, liquidate,
   lump together, make accounts square, make free with, make up,
   make use of, mass, match, mesmerize, mobilize, monopolize,
   move into, muster, number among, obsess, occupy,
   occupy the attention, osmose, overrun, pair, partner, pass,
   pass under review, patronize, pay in full, pay off, pay the bill,
   pay the shot, pay up, percolate in, pick, pick up, pitch into,
   pluck, pluck up, plunge into, practice, preempt, preoccupy,
   prepossess, proceed to, prosecute, pursue, put together, raise,
   rake up, rally, rap, ratify, rear, reason, reason about,
   reason the point, receive, reckon among, reckon in, reckon with,
   redeem, remark upon, requisition, retire, review, round up,
   satisfy, scare up, scrape together, scrape up, seep in, set about,
   set at, set forward, set going, set to, settle, sift, sit on,
   slurp up, soak in, soak up, sorb, specialize in, spellbind, sponge,
   sponsor, square, square accounts, squat on, strike a balance,
   study, subjugate, survey, swill up, tackle, take all of, take in,
   take into account, take into consideration, take it all, take on,
   take over, take possession, take possession of, take to, talk,
   talk about, talk of, talk over, thresh out, touch upon, treat,
   treat of, turn to, undertake, uphold, uplift, upraise, uprear, use,
   usurp, ventilate, venture upon, wage, whip in, work at, write up