A runner is a side shoot the sword plant sends out laterally. A new (baby) plantlet or several of them will sprout along this runner. Once those develop their own roots, you can cut off the side shoot and plant them separately.
Another way.. once the main plant matures, it may send up a bloom stalk. That has to reach above the water surface. Then you would fertilize the open buds with a soft brush. After blooming, this "mother" plant will form "daughter" plants along the nodes of that stalk. Same thing, wait for the new plants to show roots themselves, then cut them off and you have lots of new sword plants.
Sometimes, you can gently but firmly twist the baby plants off the runner without cutting it. If that works, the runner will keep producing new plants.