Australia's tie in Dubai on Thursday (0100 Friday AEDT) will be a rematch of last year's final in Cape Town, won by Australia by 19 runs.
West Indies will meet New Zealand in Sharjah in the other semi-final 24 hours later.
West Indies had lost their last 13 matches to England dating back to 2018 but followed a solid bowling performance with a blistering batting display to reach their first semi-final since that year.
They were helped by abysmal catching from England who spilled four catches in the first ten overs, the most damaging being Sophia Dunkley shelling Qiana Joseph on six, a straightforward catch in the deep.
Alice Capsey then dropped a skier when Joseph was on 31 and Maia Bouchier twice let chances through her hands on the ropes.
Joseph was finally caught at the sixth attempt having made 59 off 38 balls in a 102-run 74-ball opening partnership alongside Hayley Matthews (50 off 38 balls).
West Indies' captain Hayley Matthews raises her bat after making a fifty against England. (AP PHOTO)
That provided a platform even a late push from England could not overturn. With Deandra Dottin making 27 off 19 balls West Indies won by six wickets with two overs to spare.
Besides catching the other difference was in power and approach. England, who had played their previous matches on the slower Sharjah wickets, scurried their runs, hitting 54 runs in boundaries including one six. West Indies, reading the wicket better, battered theirs, hitting five sixes as they racked up 98 runs in boundaries.
Put in to bat England began modestly, reaching 2-34 at the end of the six-over powerplay and losing their third wicket the following ball.
That was Bouchier who, having been dropped on three, then ran out her partner Alice Capsey for one, then perished with a slog for 14. With Danni Wyatt-Hodge (16) already well caught by Dottin veterans Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight had to rebuild.
Sciver-Brunt survived a leg before at 3-72 with the West Indies having burned both reviews but the partnership was broken at 80 when Knight (21) appeared to pull a calf muscle.
Wickets subsequently fell at regular intervals, Afy Fletcher ending with 3-21 off four overs and Matthews 2-35. But with Sciver-Brunt ending with 57 not out off 50 balls England's 7-141 looked defendable. And it probably would have been had they taken their catches.
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