  We report a measurement of $\phi$ meson production in central Pb+Au
collisions at E$_{lab}$/A=158 GeV. For the first time in heavy-ion collisions,
$\phi$ mesons were reconstructed in the same experiment both in the K$^+$K$^-$
and the dilepton decay channel. Near mid-rapidity, this yields rapidity
densities, corrected for production at the same rapidity value, of 2.05 +-
0.14(stat) +- 0.25(syst) and 2.04 +- 0.49(stat)+-{0.32}(syst), respectively.
The shape of the measured transverse momentum spectra is also in close
agreement in both decay channels. The data rule out a possible enhancement of
the $\phi$ yield in the leptonic over the hadronic channel by a factor larger
than 1.6 at 95% CL.
