Informed about hard ridge several times (9)

I believe the answer is:

threefold

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'several times' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adverbs. Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'informed about hard ridge' is the wordplay.
'informed' becomes 'told' (telling is a kind of informing).
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'ridge' becomes 'reef' (reef is a kind of ridge).
'h'+'reef'='hreef'
'told' placed around 'hreef' is 'THREEFOLD'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for threefold that I've seen before include "in several parts" , "Triple" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.

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