A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor pillar including first and second memory cells electrically connected in series and formed on opposite sides of the semiconductor pillar, first word lines connected to the first memory cells, respectively, and second word lines connected to the second memory cells, respectively. A verify operation includes a channel clean operation for supplying a reference voltage to a semiconductor channel shared by the first and second memory cells followed by at least first and second sense operation for determining whether a threshold voltage of a target memory cell has reached first and second threshold voltage states, respectively, then a second channel clean operation for supplying the reference voltage to the semiconductor channel, and then at least a third sense operation for determining whether the threshold voltage of the target memory cell has reached a third threshold voltage state.