The biology of bacteriophage (phage) infection has been extensively studied since the beginning of the 20th century Nevertheless, relatively little is known about strategies utilized by phages to invade new hosts. Phages typically exhibit a narrow host range, limited by host specific receptors, yet they are considered to have a tremendous impact on horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in nature. we investigate phage dynamics in multicellular communities that harbor both phage resistant (R) and sensitive (S) bacteria, a common scenario in nature. Using the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis and its cognate lytic phage SPP1 as a model system, we demonstrate that R cells, lacking the SPP1 receptor, can be lysed by SPP1 when co-cultured with S cells. This unanticipated lysis was triggered in part by phage lytic enzymes released from nearby infected S cells. Strikingly, we discovered that occasionally phages can actually invade and proliferate within R cells, henceforth we termed this phenomenon acquisition of sensitivity (ASEN) by R cells. We found that ASEN is mediated by R cells gaining phage attachment surface molecules from neighboring S cells. This phenomenon is not restricted to SPP1 and is exhibited by additional lytic B. subtilis phages. Finally, we provide evidence that molecular exchange of phage attachment molecules can occur in an interspecies fashion, thereby providing a potential unexplored route for HGT in nature