Water-soluble pressure sensitive adhesive

A pressure sensitive adhesive comprised of a water-soluble or water dispersible normally-tacky graft copolymer comprised of one or more water soluble base monomers A and water soluble or water dispersible macromer C, and optionally one or more B monomers copolymerized with said A monomer, wherein said base monomer A comprises a vinyl monomer capable of forming a hydrophilic polymer and having a T.sub.g <20.degree. C., said optional monomer B being capable of forming a hydrophilic or hydrophobic polymer, and said C macromer forming polymeric sidechains on said graft copolymer, with the provisos that when said C macromer is present in an amount of at least 45 percent by weight, then at least 5 percent by weight of a B monomer having a T.sub.g of >20.degree. C. is present, and when said C macromer is present in an amount of 35 percent by weight or less, then at least 5 percent by weight of a B monomer having a T.sub.g of <0.degree. C. is present, and wherein any B monomer present, if hydrophobic, is present in an amount up to 25 percent by weight, each said amounts being based on the total weight of the components A, B and C, said adhesive exhibiting a tackifier or plasticizer-free Polyken probe tack value of at least 300 gm/cm.sup.2 as determined by ASTM D2979, a peel adhesion value of at least 20 oz/in as determined by PSTC 1, and a shear holding value of greater than 5 minutes as determined at 500 grams according to PSTC 7.