<p>The strategies that students use during learning are closely related to their learning outcomes. However, students often rely on less effective strategies due to factors such as low working memory capacity, time constraints, and low motivation. So far, there is little empirical research on the role of thinking processes in strategy use. This study, grounded in Vygotsky’s framework, uses word meaning structure (WMS) as an indicator of thinking processes. There are two main WMS: everyday concepts where meaning is based on direct perception, and scientific concepts where meaning is structured hierarchically within abstract categories. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the use of learning strategies use and the level of WMS. Participants were 376 students from Grades 9 and 12. The use of learning strategies was assessed via a word-memorization test and self-report on the strategies employed. Learning strategies were categorized into associative organization, visualization-verbalization, and rehearsal. The level of WMS was assessed using a word defining test, classifying students into dominative everyday, mixed, dominative scientific groups. Both, Grade 9 and Grade 12 students primarily used associative organization. However, Grade 9 students relied more frequently on rehearsal, whereas Grade 12 students more often used visualization–verbalization. Additionally, students in the dominative everyday group tended to favor rehearsal, whereas those in the dominative scientific group used associative organization. These findings suggest a link between the higher level of WMS and the use of more advanced learning strategies, highlighting the importance of fostering scientific thinking to promote more effective learning approaches.</p>