<PAGE>
SUPPLEMENT DATED OCTOBER 1, 1997 TO
PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 1997 FOR
INDIVIDUAL DEFERRED VARIABLE ANNUITY CONTRACTS
ISSUED BY
NATIONWIDE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
THROUGH ITS
NATIONWIDE MULTI-FLEX VARIABLE ACCOUNT
This Supplement updates certain information contained in your Prospectus.
Please read it and keep it with your Prospectus for future reference.
1. Effective November 1, 1997, the "UNDERLYING MUTUAL FUND ANNUAL EXPENSES"
provision of the Prospectus is amended by changing the Management Fees and
Other Expenses of the following Nationwide Separate Account Trust
underlying Mutual Fund options:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Management Other Expenses Total Mutual
Fees Fund Expenses
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Nationwide Separate Account Trust - Total Return 0.65% 0.02% 0.67%
Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nationwide Separate Account Trust - Government 0.55% 0.02% 0.57%
Bond Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nationwide Separate Account Trust - Money Market 0.45% 0.02% 0.47%
Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
2. Effective November 1, 1997, the "EXAMPLE" in the Prospectus is amended to
reflect the following information:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you surrender your If you do not surrender If you annuitize your
Contract at the end of the your Contract at the end of Contract at the end of the
applicable time period the applicable time period applicable time period
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 3 5 10 1 3 5 10 1 3 5 10
Yr. Yrs. Yrs. Yrs. Yr. Yrs. Yrs. Yrs. Yr. Yrs. Yrs. Yrs.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Nationwide Separate
Account Trust - Total Return 92 114 146 255 22 69 119 255 * 69 119 255
Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nationwide Separate
Account Trust - Government 91 111 140 244 21 66 113 244 * 66 113 244
Bond Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nationwide Separate
Account Trust - Money Market 90 108 135 233 20 63 108 233 * 63 108 233
Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
3. The following information is added to the "FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS"
section as the second provision:
PUERTO RICO
Under the Puerto Rico tax code, Distributions prior to Annuitization
are treated as nontaxable return of principal until the principal is fully
recovered; thereafter, all Distributions are fully taxable. Distributions
after Annuitization are treated as part taxable income and part nontaxable
return of principal. The amount excluded from gross income after
Annuitization is equal to the amount of the Distribution in excess of 3% of
the total Purchase Payments paid, until an amount equal to the Purchase
Payments paid has been excluded; thereafter, the entire Distribution is
included in gross income. Puerto Rico does not impose an early withdrawal
penalty tax. Generally, Puerto Rico does not require income tax to be
withheld from Distributions of income. A personal tax advisor should be
consulted.
