to put something somewhere on purpose: to set, lay, or place it where the actor decides it should be
At its heart this word means to put a thing down in a chosen spot. The actor decides where, and the thing comes to rest there. From that one simple action the New Testament draws a wide range of uses that all keep the same core picture.
The plainest use is physical: laying a body in a tomb, setting a lamp on a stand, putting a foundation in place. From there the word stretches to people and arrangements. To place a person over a work is to appoint them; to fix a time or a purpose is to set it firmly so it stands. God places people in the church and lays a cornerstone in Zion; Jesus places himself under death by laying down his life.
A few uses are fixed Greek expressions built on the same image. To place the knees is to kneel. To put a matter in the heart is to take it to heart, to ponder it, or to resolve on it. Each is the literal act of putting something in a place, used for an inner or bodily action.
Because the picture stays constant while the object changes, this is one word with several shades, not several unrelated words. The senses below sort the occurrences by what is being put where.