Near rhyme is even a bit trickier. Since some published works include it, many new writers feel that they can "get away with it." Unless you are already published, with a strong editor-writer relationship, it is not in your best interests to use it if your goal is to become published. Near rhymes can tell an editor that you did not give the work your best effort, especially if the near rhyme can be displaced with a useable rhyme that is perfect. In the few published works that I have read where a near rhyme existed, the story and rhythm of each were so strong; the near rhymes were not even noticeable at first reading.
Near rhymes often occur when two words look alike but do not sound like. Lean and stream, or bone and home, have middle sounds that make them look as if they could rhyme, but they do not. Sometimes due to different phonetic pronunciations, the words seem to rhyme, but if you are in a region that has strong phonetics -- an accent -- that could affect the way you hear certain words, again, the words may not really rhyme at all. Plural endings are also another form of near rhymes. "Cat and bats," and "top and shops" do not rhyme.
Recommended Dictionaries
If you have any question whatsoever about a word’s pronunciation in your work, head to the dictionary to check it out. Several print and online dictionaries devoted to rhyme exist. A favorite among writers is Write Express Rhymer that installs and works seamlessly with your word processor on your computer. The paperback copy of The Complete Rhyming Dictionary: Including the Poet's Craftbook is also a favorite and is small enough to be carried almost anywhere. By doing an online search for rhyme dictionary, you will also discover several online versions free to use including Rhymer and Rhyme Zone.