diff --git a/manim-polymorph/README.md b/manim-polymorph/README.md
index 20edcb3..ca60834 100644
--- a/manim-polymorph/README.md
+++ b/manim-polymorph/README.md
@@ -8,10 +8,14 @@ built-in `Transform` machinery.
 Why not just `Transform`? Manim's `VMobject.align_points` pairs subpaths
 strictly by document order and pads missing subpaths with degenerate curves
 collapsed onto a single point. Polymorph instead sorts subpaths by perimeter
-before pairing them, grows filler subpaths from a configurable origin, and
-rotates each closed subpath's start point toward that origin — which makes
-morphs between structurally different shapes (different subpath counts,
-holes, wildly different point counts) look intentional rather than glitchy.
+before pairing them and rotates each closed subpath's start point toward a
+configurable origin — which makes morphs between structurally different
+shapes (different subpath counts, holes, wildly different point counts) look
+intentional rather than glitchy. When subpath counts differ, the smaller
+keyframe's subpaths are shared out across the larger's by default — one
+shape splits into every glyph of a word, and every glyph merges back into
+one shape — with polymorph's grow-from-origin filler available as
+`fill_mode="grow"`.
 
 ## Install
 
@@ -87,10 +91,14 @@ on finish.
 Keyword options, besides the usual `Animation` ones (`run_time`, `rate_func`,
 ...):
 
-- `origin=(0, 0)` — where filler subpaths grow from and where closed subpaths
-  start drawing. Relative origins use SVG semantics ((0, 0) is the top-left of
-  each subpath's bounding box; (0.5, 0.5) is the center);
-  `Origin(x, y, absolute=True)` is a scene coordinate.
+- `fill_mode="share"` — how subpath-count mismatches are resolved. `"share"`
+  clones the smaller keyframe's subpaths so every subpath morphs from/to real
+  geometry (flubber-style split/merge); `"grow"` pads with degenerate
+  subpaths that grow from the origin (polymorph's own behavior).
+- `origin=(0, 0)` — where filler subpaths grow from (`fill_mode="grow"`) and
+  where closed subpaths start drawing. Relative origins use SVG semantics
+  ((0, 0) is the top-left of each subpath's bounding box; (0.5, 0.5) is the
+  center); `Origin(x, y, absolute=True)` is a scene coordinate.
 - `add_points=0` — extra curves added to every subpath; raise it to smooth
   morphs between shapes of very different complexity.
 - `optimize="fill"` — `"fill"` aligns structurally different paths;
diff --git a/manim-polymorph/examples/demo.py b/manim-polymorph/examples/demo.py
index caa6d5f..4c17ac1 100644
--- a/manim-polymorph/examples/demo.py
+++ b/manim-polymorph/examples/demo.py
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ def construct(self):
         self.wait(0.3)
 
         # multi-keyframe sequence morphing through the ring and back to the
-        # heart, with filler subpaths growing from the shape's center
-        self.play(Polymorph(shape, ring, heart, run_time=4, origin=(0.5, 0.5)))
+        # heart; fill_mode="grow" makes the ring's extra subpath grow from
+        # the shape's center instead of splitting off a clone (the default)
+        self.play(
+            Polymorph(shape, ring, heart, run_time=4, fill_mode="grow", origin=(0.5, 0.5))
+        )
         self.wait(0.5)
diff --git a/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/animation.py b/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/animation.py
index f16a746..2bf619f 100644
--- a/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/animation.py
+++ b/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/animation.py
@@ -37,10 +37,13 @@ def _style_donor(vm: VMobject) -> VMobject:
 class Polymorph(Animation):
     """Morph a VMobject through one or more target shapes using polymorph.
 
-    Unlike Transform, subpaths are paired by sorted perimeter, missing
-    subpaths grow from a configurable origin, and closed subpaths rotate
-    their start point toward that origin — producing stable morphs between
-    structurally different shapes.
+    Unlike Transform, subpaths are paired by sorted perimeter and closed
+    subpaths rotate their start point toward a configurable origin —
+    producing stable morphs between structurally different shapes. When
+    subpath counts differ, the smaller keyframe's subpaths are shared out
+    across the larger's by default (one shape splits into many, many
+    merge into one, flubber-style); fill_mode="grow" restores polymorph's
+    own behavior of growing the missing subpaths from the origin.
 
     Mobjects whose geometry lives in submobjects (Text, Tex, VGroup, SVG
     imports) are flattened: every subpath in the family joins one morph.
@@ -53,10 +56,14 @@ class Polymorph(Animation):
     targets: one or more target VMobjects; with several, the run time is
         divided evenly between consecutive pairs, like polymorph's own
         multi-path interpolate. Targets do not need to be on screen.
-    origin: where filler subpaths grow from and where closed subpaths start
-        drawing. Relative origins use SVG semantics — (0, 0) is the top-left
-        of each subpath's bounding box — while Origin(..., absolute=True)
-        is a scene coordinate.
+    fill_mode: how subpath-count mismatches between keyframes are
+        resolved. "share" (default) clones the smaller keyframe's
+        subpaths so every subpath morphs from/to real geometry; "grow"
+        pads with degenerate subpaths that grow from the origin.
+    origin: where filler subpaths grow from (fill_mode="grow") and where
+        closed subpaths start drawing. Relative origins use SVG semantics
+        — (0, 0) is the top-left of each subpath's bounding box — while
+        Origin(..., absolute=True) is a scene coordinate.
     add_points: extra curves added to every subpath (smooths morphs between
         shapes of very different complexity).
     optimize: "fill" (default) aligns subpaths automatically; "none"
@@ -71,6 +78,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         mobject: VMobject,
         *targets: VMobject,
+        fill_mode: Literal["share", "grow"] = "share",
         origin: tuple[float, float] | Origin = (0.0, 0.0),
         add_points: int = 0,
         optimize: Literal["fill", "none"] = "fill",
@@ -95,6 +103,7 @@ def __init__(
             origin = Origin(*origin)
 
         self.targets = targets
+        self.fill_mode = fill_mode
         self.origin = origin
         self.add_points = add_points
         self.optimize = optimize
@@ -130,6 +139,7 @@ def begin(self) -> None:
             optimize=self.optimize,
             origin=origin,
             add_points=self.add_points,
+            fill_mode=self.fill_mode,
         )
         super().begin()
 
diff --git a/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/core.py b/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/core.py
index a632452..c9a5e6f 100644
--- a/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/core.py
+++ b/manim-polymorph/src/manim_polymorph/core.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from itertools import pairwise
 
 import numpy as np
-from polymorph.normalize import Origin, normalize_paths
+from polymorph.normalize import Origin, normalize_paths, sorted_segments
 
 DEFAULT_ORIGIN = Origin(0.0, 0.0)
 
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     "NumericMorph",
     "manim_subpaths_to_polymorph_data",
     "polymorph_data_to_manim_points",
+    "share_subpaths",
     "subpath_to_manim_points",
 ]
 
@@ -89,6 +90,27 @@ def manim_subpaths_to_polymorph_data(
     return data
 
 
+def share_subpaths(
+    left: Sequence[Sequence[float]], right: Sequence[Sequence[float]]
+) -> tuple[list[list[float]], list[list[float]]]:
+    """Balance subpath counts by cloning the smaller path's subpaths.
+
+    Clones cycle through the smaller side largest-perimeter first, so
+    normalize_paths pairs every subpath on the larger side with real
+    geometry instead of a degenerate origin point: one shape splits into
+    many, many shapes merge into one.
+    """
+    left = [list(ns) for ns in left]
+    right = [list(ns) for ns in right]
+    if len(left) == len(right) or not left or not right:
+        return left, right
+    smaller, larger = (left, right) if len(left) < len(right) else (right, left)
+    donors = sorted_segments(smaller)
+    clones = [list(donors[i % len(donors)]) for i in range(len(larger) - len(smaller))]
+    smaller.extend(clones)
+    return left, right
+
+
 class NumericMorph:
     """Morph between keyframe paths entirely on numpy point arrays.
 
@@ -98,6 +120,11 @@ class NumericMorph:
     with a single vectorized lerp, so t=0 and t=1 have exactly the same
     point structure as every interior frame (no polymorph string
     short-circuit, no coordinate rounding).
+
+    fill_mode: how subpath-count mismatches are resolved. "share"
+    (default) clones the smaller keyframe's subpaths so every subpath
+    morphs from/to real geometry; "grow" keeps polymorph's own behavior
+    of padding with degenerate subpaths that grow from the origin.
     """
 
     def __init__(
@@ -107,14 +134,21 @@ def __init__(
         optimize: str = "fill",
         origin: Origin = DEFAULT_ORIGIN,
         add_points: int = 0,
+        fill_mode: str = "share",
     ) -> None:
         if len(keyframes) < 2:
             raise ValueError("at least two keyframes are required")
+        if fill_mode not in ("share", "grow"):
+            raise ValueError(f"fill_mode must be 'share' or 'grow', got {fill_mode!r}")
         self._segments: list[tuple[np.ndarray, np.ndarray]] = []
         for left, right in pairwise(keyframes):
+            left = [list(ns) for ns in left]
+            right = [list(ns) for ns in right]
+            if fill_mode == "share" and optimize == "fill":
+                left, right = share_subpaths(left, right)
             matrix = normalize_paths(
-                [list(ns) for ns in left],
-                [list(ns) for ns in right],
+                left,
+                right,
                 optimize=optimize,
                 origin=origin,
                 add_points=add_points,
diff --git a/manim-polymorph/tests/test_animation.py b/manim-polymorph/tests/test_animation.py
index ab9d1e7..41a4c14 100644
--- a/manim-polymorph/tests/test_animation.py
+++ b/manim-polymorph/tests/test_animation.py
@@ -99,6 +99,26 @@ def test_multi_target_sequencing():
     assert not np.allclose(mid, heart.points)
 
 
+def test_fill_mode_passes_through():
+    heart, star = make_pair()
+    pair_target = manim.VGroup(star.copy(), star.copy().shift(manim.RIGHT * 4))
+
+    share = Polymorph(heart.copy(), pair_target, rate_func=manim.linear)
+    share.begin()
+    share.interpolate(0.0)
+    pts = share.mobject.points
+    first, second = pts[: len(pts) // 2], pts[len(pts) // 2 :]
+    # both subpaths start as the same full heart — no degenerate filler
+    assert np.allclose(first, second)
+    assert np.ptp(second[:, :2], axis=0).min() > 0
+
+    grow = Polymorph(heart.copy(), pair_target, fill_mode="grow", rate_func=manim.linear)
+    grow.begin()
+    grow.interpolate(0.0)
+    spans = [np.ptp(sp[:, :2], axis=0).max() for sp in grow.mobject.get_subpaths()]
+    assert min(spans) == 0  # the filler subpath starts collapsed at the origin
+
+
 def test_str_target_rejected():
     heart, _ = make_pair()
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="svg_path_mobjects"):
diff --git a/manim-polymorph/tests/test_core.py b/manim-polymorph/tests/test_core.py
index 7c98d43..abba7b7 100644
--- a/manim-polymorph/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/manim-polymorph/tests/test_core.py
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@
     NumericMorph,
     manim_subpaths_to_polymorph_data,
     polymorph_data_to_manim_points,
+    share_subpaths,
     subpath_to_manim_points,
 )
 
 SQUARE = "M0 0 L10 0 L10 10 L0 10 Z"
 CIRCLE = "M50 25 A25 25 0 1 1 0 25 A25 25 0 1 1 50 25 Z"
+TWO_SQUARES = "M0 0 L10 0 L10 10 L0 10 Z M20 0 L30 0 L30 10 L20 10 Z"
 
 
 def test_subpath_layout_and_anchor_duplication():
@@ -114,3 +116,34 @@ def test_numeric_morph_overshoot_extrapolates():
 def test_numeric_morph_requires_two_keyframes():
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         NumericMorph([parse_points(SQUARE)])
+
+
+def test_share_subpaths_clones_smaller_side():
+    left, right = share_subpaths(parse_points(SQUARE), parse_points(TWO_SQUARES))
+    assert len(left) == len(right) == 2
+    assert left[0] == left[1]  # the lone square is cloned, not degenerate
+
+
+def test_share_mode_morphs_from_real_geometry():
+    # 1 subpath -> 2 subpaths: at t=0 both halves are full copies of the
+    # square, so nothing grows out of a point
+    morph = NumericMorph([parse_points(SQUARE), parse_points(TWO_SQUARES)])
+    p0 = morph.points_at(0.0)
+    first, second = p0[: len(p0) // 2], p0[len(p0) // 2 :]
+    assert np.allclose(first, second)
+    assert np.ptp(second[:, :2], axis=0).min() > 0
+
+
+def test_grow_mode_keeps_degenerate_filler():
+    morph = NumericMorph(
+        [parse_points(SQUARE), parse_points(TWO_SQUARES)], fill_mode="grow"
+    )
+    p0 = morph.points_at(0.0)
+    second = p0[len(p0) // 2 :]
+    # the filler subpath collapses to a single origin point at t=0
+    assert np.ptp(second[:, :2], axis=0).max() == 0
+
+
+def test_invalid_fill_mode_rejected():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="fill_mode"):
+        NumericMorph([parse_points(SQUARE), parse_points(CIRCLE)], fill_mode="clone")