Asperse is a synonym for deride.

Scolding may have the same context as "punish" but it is normally only verbal.

Synonyms could include admonish, berate, chasten, chide, criticize, rebuke, or reprimand.

And a few more:

dress down, asperse, blame, castigate, cavil, or censure.

They are all words that mean the opposite of themselves.

Example: Cleave means both to adhere to, and to split.

However, at least 'resign' is not homonymically accurate, as the meaning 'to surrender' is pronounced with a z, and resign 'to sign/issue again', is pronounced with an s.

Written, however, they do look the same.

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 2 words with the pattern -S--R-E. That is, seven letter words with 2nd letter S and 5th letter R and 7th letter E. In alphabetical order, they are:

asperge

asperse