diff --git a/nco/nco.py b/nco/nco.py
index 31574bc..389bd8c 100644
--- a/nco/nco.py
+++ b/nco/nco.py
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ def get(self, input, **kwargs):
                         print(self.stdout)
                         print(self.stderr)
                         raise NCOException(**retvals)
-
+            
             if return_array:
                 return self.read_array(output, return_array)
             elif return_ma_array:
@@ -495,15 +495,27 @@ def open_cdf(self, infile):
 
         return file_obj
 
-    def read_array(self, infile, var_name):
-        """Directly return a numpy array for a given variable name"""
+    def read_array(self, infile, var_names):
+        """Directly return single/multiple numpy arrays for given variable names"""
         file_handle = self.read_cdf(infile)
-        try:
-            # return the data array
-            return file_handle.variables[var_name][:]
-        except KeyError:
-            print("Cannot find variable: {0}".format(var_name))
-            raise KeyError
+        result = {}
+
+        if isinstance(var_names, list):
+            for var_name in var_names:
+                try:
+                    # return the data arrays for each variable
+                    result[var_name] = file_handle.variables[var_name][:]
+                except KeyError:
+                    print("Cannot find variable: {0}".format(var_name))
+                    raise KeyError
+            return result
+        else:
+            try:
+                # return the single data array
+                return file_handle.variables[var_names][:]
+            except KeyError:
+                print("Cannot find variable: {0}".format(var_names))
+                raise KeyError
 
     def read_ma_array(self, infile, var_name):
         """Create a masked array based on cdf's FillValue"""