We use a method of commutative algebra to describe the affine variety HLie m (gl n (C)) of all multiplicative Hom-Lie algebras on the general linear Lie algebra gl n (C), showing that HLie m (gl 2 (C)) consists of two 1-dimensional and one 3-dimensional irreducible components. We also prove that HLie m (gl n (C)) = {diag{δ , . . . , δ , a} | δ = 1 or 0, a ∈ C} for n 3.