<%= Html.DropDownList("items", new MultiSelectList(Model.AvailableItems,
    "id", "name", Model.items), new { multiple = "multiple" })%>

<%= Html.DropDownList("somethingelse", new MultiSelectList(Model.AvailableItems,
    "id", "name", Model.items), new { multiple = "multiple" })%>

<%= Html.DropDownList("items", new MultiSelectList(Model.AvailableItems,
    "id", "name", Model.items), new { multiple = "multiple" })%>

<%= Html.DropDownList("somethingelse", new MultiSelectList(Model.AvailableItems,
    "id", "name", Model.items.Select(c=> c.name)), new { multiple = "multiple" })%>

public class Item
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

public class MyModel
{
    public IEnumerable<int> SelectedItemIds { get; set; }
    public IEnumerable<Item> AvailableItems {
        get
        {
            return new[]
            {
                new Item { Id = 1, Name = "Item 1" },
                new Item { Id = 2, Name = "Item 2" },
                new Item { Id = 3, Name = "Item 3" },
            };
        }
    }
}

[HandleError]
public class HomeController : Controller
{
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        var model = new MyModel
        {
            SelectedItemIds = new[] { 2, 3 }
        };
        return View(model);
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Index(IEnumerable<int> selectedItemIds)
    {
        var model = new MyModel
        {
            // Important: Don't ever try to modify the selectedItemIds here
            // The Html helper will completely ignore it and use
            // the POSTed values
            SelectedItemIds = selectedItemIds
        };
        return View(model);
    }
}

<% using (Html.BeginForm()) { %>
    <%= Html.ListBoxFor(x => x.SelectedItemIds,
        new MultiSelectList(Model.AvailableItems, "Id", "Name")) %>
    <input type="submit" value="GO" />
<% } %>

public static MvcHtmlString ListBoxMultiSelectFor<TModel, TProperty>(
        this HtmlHelper<TModel> helper,
        Expression<Func<TModel, TProperty>> expression,
        IEnumerable<SelectListItem> selectList,
        object htmlAttributes)
    {
        return ListBoxMultiSelectFor(helper, expression, selectList, new RouteValueDictionary(htmlAttributes));
    }

    public static MvcHtmlString ListBoxMultiSelectFor<TModel, TProperty>(
        this HtmlHelper<TModel> helper,
        Expression<Func<TModel, TProperty>> expression,
        IEnumerable<SelectListItem> selectList,
        IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
    {
        string name = ExpressionHelper.GetExpressionText(expression);

        TagBuilder selectTag = new TagBuilder("select");
        selectTag.MergeAttributes(htmlAttributes);
        selectTag.MergeAttribute("id", name, true);
        selectTag.MergeAttribute("name", name, true);
        foreach (SelectListItem item in selectList)
        {
            TagBuilder optionTag = new TagBuilder("option");
            optionTag.MergeAttribute("value", item.Value);
            if (item.Selected) optionTag.MergeAttribute("selected", "selected");
            optionTag.InnerHtml = item.Text;
            selectTag.InnerHtml += optionTag.ToString();
        }

        return  new MvcHtmlString(selectTag.ToString());
    }

<select ...>
   <option ...>
   <option ...>
   ...
</select>

@Html.ListBoxFor(model => model.SelectedCategories,
   new MultiSelectList(Model.Categories, Model.SelectedCategories),
   new { multiple = "multiple" })