With the rapid development of industry, a large amount of industrial pollutants are discharged into water bodies, causing serious water pollution and posing a major threat to human health. Plant polyphenol nanomaterials (PNs), which combine the excellent properties of plant polyphenols and nanomaterials, show remarkable potential for application in water pollution control.The application of PNs in the field of medicine has been widely studied, but their application in environmental fields, such as water pollution control and soil remediation, is still in its infancy. This paper briefly describes the preparation methods of PNs, including one-pot, hydrothermal, and metal-polyphenol network (MPN) methods, and the optimization process of polyphenol-metal nanomaterials; focuses on the adsorption performance and adsorption mechanism of organic pollutants, pathogenic microorganisms, and ions of heavy metals (Cr, Pb, As, etc.); and outlines the effects on adsorption efficiency of the particle size and specific surface area, the type and structure of polyphenols, temperature and pH, coexisting ions and ionic strength; and finally, the future challenges and opportunities for PNs are envisioned.