6th grade combining like terms worksheets

Combining like terms is your child's first taste of simplifying algebra: 3x + 2x + 4x collapses to 9x because the terms share a variable. These sheets mix three moves: combining like terms, expanding 3(x + 4), and factoring 3x + 12.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 6.EE.A.3, 6.EE.A.4.

A new sheet every click.

Tap to see another sample sheet.

The kind of problems you'll get

Simplify, expand, or factor each expression.

  1. Simplify: 3x + 9x + 6

    Answer: 12x + 6

  2. Expand: 6(x + 3)
  3. Simplify: 12x − 7x + x

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Say the terms out loud with a unit word: 3 x's plus 2 x's is 5 x's, the same way 3 apples plus 2 apples is 5 apples. For expanding, draw arrows from the outside number to each term inside the parentheses. Factoring is expanding run backward. Ask what number divides both terms.

Watch for: 3x + 2x turns into 5x² for many kids. Adding like terms only adds the number parts, so it's 5x. Kids expand 3(x + 4) as 3x + 4. The 3 multiplies both terms inside, so it's 3x + 12.

Common questions about combining like terms

What is a like term?
Terms with the same variable part, like 3x and 2x. You can add or subtract them by combining their number parts: 3x + 2x = 5x.
Are expanding and factoring on the same sheet?
Yes. Each print mixes simplify, expand, and factor problems, so your child learns the distributive property in both directions.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Need a fresh set of questions? Download another copy.

Aligned to Common Core 6.EE.A.3, 6.EE.A.4. Reviewed by the One more sheet curriculum team. Content version 123, updated July 2026.