Lignin, one of the most abundant natural polymers, has been successfully used as an effective lubricant additive with high value. The chemical structure of lignin is very diverse and strongly affected by both the source of lignin (i.e. plant species) and the lignin extraction process. In this work, a series of lignin from different biomass sources (hard or soft wood) and extraction process (organosolv with or without acid catalyst) has been successfully incorporated into poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and fortified lubricating properties were achieved. The effects of different lignin on the rheological, thermal and tribological properties of the lignin/EG lubricants were systematically investigated by different characterization techniques. Lignin in PEG significantly improves the lubricating property, where a wear reduction of 93.8% was observed. The thermal and lubrication properties of the PEG lubricants filled with different kinds of lignin are tightly related to the synergistic state of hydrogen bonding and molecular weight distribution. Lignin with broader molecular weight distribution and higher hydroxyl content shows better adhesion on metal surfaces and strengthened lubricating film, which could be used as the efficient lubricating additives. This work provides a criterion for selecting appropriate lignin as the efficient lubricant additive and accelerates the application of lignin.