diff --git a/starlette/datastructures.py b/starlette/datastructures.py
index 5e724d19d..7aae90ec7 100644
--- a/starlette/datastructures.py
+++ b/starlette/datastructures.py
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ class Address(typing.NamedTuple):
     port: int
 
 
+_KeyType = typing.TypeVar("_KeyType")
+# Mapping keys are invariant but their values are covariant since
+# you can only read them
+# that is, you can't do `Mapping[str, Animal]()["fido"] = Dog()`
+_CovariantValueType = typing.TypeVar("_CovariantValueType", covariant=True)
+
+
 class URL:
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -238,32 +245,36 @@ def __str__(self) -> str:
         return ", ".join(repr(item) for item in self)
 
 
-class ImmutableMultiDict(typing.Mapping):
+class ImmutableMultiDict(typing.Mapping[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType]):
+    _dict: typing.Dict[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType]
+
     def __init__(
         self,
         *args: typing.Union[
-            "ImmutableMultiDict",
-            typing.Mapping,
-            typing.List[typing.Tuple[typing.Any, typing.Any]],
+            "ImmutableMultiDict[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType]",
+            typing.Mapping[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType],
+            typing.Iterable[typing.Tuple[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType]],
         ],
         **kwargs: typing.Any,
     ) -> None:
         assert len(args) < 2, "Too many arguments."
 
-        value = args[0] if args else []
+        value: typing.Any = args[0] if args else []
         if kwargs:
             value = (
                 ImmutableMultiDict(value).multi_items()
-                + ImmutableMultiDict(kwargs).multi_items()
+                + ImmutableMultiDict(kwargs).multi_items()  # type: ignore[operator]
             )
 
         if not value:
             _items: typing.List[typing.Tuple[typing.Any, typing.Any]] = []
         elif hasattr(value, "multi_items"):
-            value = typing.cast(ImmutableMultiDict, value)
+            value = typing.cast(
+                ImmutableMultiDict[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType], value
+            )
             _items = list(value.multi_items())
         elif hasattr(value, "items"):
-            value = typing.cast(typing.Mapping, value)
+            value = typing.cast(typing.Mapping[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType], value)
             _items = list(value.items())
         else:
             value = typing.cast(
@@ -274,33 +285,28 @@ def __init__(
         self._dict = {k: v for k, v in _items}
         self._list = _items
 
-    def getlist(self, key: typing.Any) -> typing.List[typing.Any]:
+    def getlist(self, key: typing.Any) -> typing.List[_CovariantValueType]:
         return [item_value for item_key, item_value in self._list if item_key == key]
 
-    def keys(self) -> typing.KeysView:
+    def keys(self) -> typing.KeysView[_KeyType]:
         return self._dict.keys()
 
-    def values(self) -> typing.ValuesView:
+    def values(self) -> typing.ValuesView[_CovariantValueType]:
         return self._dict.values()
 
-    def items(self) -> typing.ItemsView:
+    def items(self) -> typing.ItemsView[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType]:
         return self._dict.items()
 
-    def multi_items(self) -> typing.List[typing.Tuple[str, str]]:
+    def multi_items(self) -> typing.List[typing.Tuple[_KeyType, _CovariantValueType]]:
         return list(self._list)
 
-    def get(self, key: typing.Any, default: typing.Any = None) -> typing.Any:
-        if key in self._dict:
-            return self._dict[key]
-        return default
-
-    def __getitem__(self, key: typing.Any) -> str:
+    def __getitem__(self, key: _KeyType) -> _CovariantValueType:
         return self._dict[key]
 
     def __contains__(self, key: typing.Any) -> bool:
         return key in self._dict
 
-    def __iter__(self) -> typing.Iterator[typing.Any]:
+    def __iter__(self) -> typing.Iterator[_KeyType]:
         return iter(self.keys())
 
     def __len__(self) -> int:
@@ -317,7 +323,7 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return f"{class_name}({items!r})"
 
 
-class MultiDict(ImmutableMultiDict):
+class MultiDict(ImmutableMultiDict[typing.Any, typing.Any]):
     def __setitem__(self, key: typing.Any, value: typing.Any) -> None:
         self.setlist(key, [value])
 
@@ -377,7 +383,7 @@ def update(
         self._dict.update(value)
 
 
-class QueryParams(ImmutableMultiDict):
+class QueryParams(ImmutableMultiDict[str, str]):
     """
     An immutable multidict.
     """
diff --git a/tests/test_datastructures.py b/tests/test_datastructures.py
index 22e377c99..3ba8bbebc 100644
--- a/tests/test_datastructures.py
+++ b/tests/test_datastructures.py
@@ -220,7 +220,9 @@ def test_url_blank_params():
     assert "abc" in q
     assert "def" in q
     assert "b" in q
-    assert len(q.get("abc")) == 0
+    val = q.get("abc")
+    assert val is not None
+    assert len(val) == 0
     assert len(q["a"]) == 3
     assert list(q.keys()) == ["a", "abc", "def", "b"]
 
@@ -342,6 +344,7 @@ def test_multidict():
     q = MultiDict([("a", "123"), ("a", "456")])
     q["a"] = "789"
     assert q["a"] == "789"
+    assert q.get("a") == "789"
     assert q.getlist("a") == ["789"]
 
     q = MultiDict([("a", "123"), ("a", "456")])